Del Monte Ups Health Push

22/11/05 As more Americans strive for a balanced and nutritious diet as part of a healthier lifestyle, Del Monte Foods has announced the launch of Del Monte Daily, an initiative that enables families to lead a healthier lifestyle by eating more fruits and vegetables and reconnecting with each other during a wholesome meal.

"Health and wellness is one of the primary trends in the marketplace today. Del Monte's products and marketing programs deliver on this trend and provide consumers with the tools they need to live a healthy lifestyle," said Richard G. Wolford, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Del Monte Foods. "We are committed to providing nourishing, great-tasting and easy-to-use products that unite and gather families and friends around the table.  A family meal has always been important, but research shows it serves an even more critical role today in nourishing and enriching families, especially children."

Del Monte Daily is an integrated marketing initiative that supports the Dietary Guidelines for Americans as a way to maintain a healthful lifestyle.  Specifically, it encourages everyone in the family to eat approximately 4 1/2 cups of fruits and vegetables daily, equaling approximately half a plate of fruits and vegetables at every meal. The initiative features:  a partnership with celebrity chef, Art Smith; a dedicated online destination, www.delmontedaily.com, that is a one-stop source for delicious meal ideas, nutrition tips, pantry must-haves and much more; new products that make it easier for families to eat more fruits and vegetables; exciting in-store activities; and, consumer promotions.

Chef Art Smith, celebrity chef and award-winning cookbook author, will support the Del Monte Daily initiative by providing delicious and healthful meal ideas that help bring the family together.  "I take an extremely realistic approach to cooking, and I want to create recipes that are not only nutritious and great tasting, but also affordable and convenient so they can easily fit into anyone's daily lifestyle," said Chef Smith. "Anything that we can do to help families reconnect during a shared, wholesome meal is worthwhile and programs like Del Monte Daily offer valuable resources for those who are looking for wholesome, quick meal solutions."

In addition to recipe development, Chef Smith will appear in Del Monte Daily marketing and promotional materials, conduct personal appearances and interviews and will be featured on www.delmontedaily.com.

Del Monte Daily's online destination, www.delmontedaily.com, provides consumers with unlimited access to healthful meal solutions, shopping lists, a personalized recipe box, tips for helping children eat more fruits and vegetables, recommendations on how to stock a perfect pantry and much more.

"Del Monte Daily is focused on helping people overcome the hurdles of healthy eating," said Apu Mody, Managing Director, Del Monte Brands.  "With Del Monte Daily, consumers can easily eat more fruits and vegetables daily and begin to enjoy the benefits of a balanced diet, an essential part of healthy living."

The initiative launches in November 2005 with a "healthy holidays" program and will continue into 2006 with efforts that focus on family mealtime, cooking with kids and colorful recipe ideas.

Continuing to offer products that are on-trend with consumers' health and wellness needs, Del Monte is launching two new, innovative and healthy tomato products, including:

-- Del Monte Garden Select tomatoes are the first jarred product of their kind, offering taste and texture more like fresh tomatoes straight from the garden.  New Del Monte Garden Select tomatoes start with vine-ripened tomatoes that are carefully cut, perfectly seasoned and packed within hours after harvest.  The tomatoes are minimally processed to preserve their fresh taste and firm texture. This new product, which comes in a 14.5 ounce glass jar, enables consumers to have "more like fresh" tomatoes anytime with three varieties, including Sliced, Petite-Diced and Petite-Diced with Basil, Garlic & Oregano.  The products retail for $1.89.

-- Del Monte Organic tomatoes are the same high-quality, great-tasting
 tomatoes that consumers have always enjoyed, now grown under strict United States Department of Agriculture organic standards.  The tomatoes, which come in five varieties, contain no preservatives or artificial ingredients. The retail price ranges from $.60 to $1.89 depending on the product.