Alexia™ Foods And Whole Foods Market® Partner In Innovative Giving Program

"Buy One, Give One" Partnership Will Donate One Pound Of Mashed Potatoes For Every Unit Sold To Local Food Banks

For Immediate Release
Contact: Rosa M. Jacquez
Tel: 718-609-5665 x 5
rosa@alexiafoods.com

NEW YORK (October 23, 2003) -- The equivalent of a soft flannel blanket for your tummy, mashed potatoes are arguably the ultimate comfort food. ALEXIA™ Foods, which makes a line of frozen mashed potatoes, and Whole Foods Market, the world’s largest natural and organic supermarket, today announced they will be comforting those in need this holiday season with a "Buy One, Give One" community giving program. ALEXIA Foods will donate one pound of mashed potatoes for every unit sold at Whole Foods Market between October 29 and November 11. The donations will occur in January 2004.

Implemented nationwide, this program was conceived as a large scale way to help on a community level. Each Whole Foods Market store selects a local food bank of their choice to be the beneficiary of the ALEXIA "Buy One, Give One" program. This innovative twist on the traditional holiday food drive allows for the quantity benefits of a large-scale program and the creativity and customization needed at the local level to involve the community.

"We have the potential to feed 250,000 hungry people nationwide, and it is important to ALEXIA that we make this program successful," said Alex Dzieduszycki, president and CEO of ALEXIA Foods. "Everyone in the community can make a difference, and we are pleased that Whole Foods Market is helping us to accomplish this."

Delicious, quality food is important to ALEXIA as well. While convenience foods usually save time at the expense of taste and nutritional value, ALEXIA’s mashed potatoes adhere to the principle of delivering unrivaled quality and flavor while using the finest wholesome ingredients. Examples of this philosophy are easy to find in their three flavors: Yukon Gold Creamy Mashed Potatoes with Sea Salt, Country Reds Garlic Mashed Potatoes and Parmesan, and Northwest Russet Jalapeño Mashed Potatoes and Cheddar. All three include top quality ingredients such as premium potatoes, extra-virgin olive oil and real butter.

ALEXIA will be implementing an additional community giving program in conjunction with the "Buy One, Give One" food drive. ALEXIA will award $1,000 to the food bank selected by the Whole Foods Market store that develops the most creative promotion for the "Buy One, Give One" program.

"Whole Foods Market is passionately committed to giving back to the communities we serve, and ALEXIA’s ‘Buy One, Give One’ program offers an exciting opportunity to deliver quality food to those in need during the holiday season," said Kate Monteilh, national public relations director for Whole Foods Market.

About ALEXIA™ Foods

Formed in 2001 by chef Alexander Dzieduszycki, ALEXIA™ is an all-natural line of frozen potato products developed for the natural and specialty food consumer with a sophisticated palette. Each ALEXIA product has been individually crafted by Dzieduszycki to ensure a superior quality product that delivers outstanding flavor. Since its launch ALEXIA has enjoyed rapid growth, achieving placement in over 4,000 U.S. retail locations and becoming the number one selling frozen potato brand in the natural foods market. The ALEXIA line is sold nationally in supermarkets, specialty and natural food stores. ALEXIA Foods is a privately held company headquartered in Brooklyn, NY.

About Whole Foods Market®

Founded in 1980 in Austin, Texas, Whole Foods Market (wholefoodsmarket.com) is the world’s largest natural and organic foods supermarket and America’s first national "certified organic" grocer. In fiscal year 2002, the company had sales of $2.7 billion and currently has more than 145 stores in the United States and Canada. The Whole Foods Market motto, "Whole Foods, Whole People, Whole Planet"™ captures the company’s mission to find success in customer satisfaction and wellness, employee excellence and happiness, enhanced shareholder value, community support, and environmental improvement. Whole Foods Market and Harry’s Farmers Market® are registered trademarks owned by Whole Foods Market IP, LP. Whole Foods Market employs more than 27,000 team members and has been ranked for six consecutive years as one of the "Top 100 Companies to Work for" in America by Fortune magazine.