Food Technology Service, Inc. Appoints Two to Board and Names New Board Chair

Business Wire, Sept 21, 2004

MULBERRY, Fla. -- Food Technology Service, Inc., (NASDAQ:VIFL) announced today that it has appointed Samuel P. Bell III and Ronald L. Thomas, Ph.D. to the company's board of directors. The Company also announced that John Sinnott, M.D. has been elected as Chairman of the Board.

Mr. Bell is a partner in the Tallahassee law firm of Pennington, Moore, Wilkinson, Bell and Dunbar where he specializes in administrative and governmental law. He is a graduate of Dartmouth College and earned his law degree from Duke University. From 1974 until 1988, Mr. Bell represented Volusia County in the Florida House of Representatives where he served as Majority Leader, Chairman of the Rules Committee, Chairman of the Commerce Committee and was twice Chairman of the Appropriations Committee. Mr. Bell is President of the Florida Public Health Foundation, Chairman of the Advisory Board for the College of Public Health at the University of South Florida, and a member of the Board of Directors of Brown & Brown Insurance Company.

Dr. Thomas is professor and chair of the Department of Packaging Science at Clemson University. He received his undergraduate degree from Gardner-Webb College and earned Masters and Doctorate degrees at Clemson University. Dr. Thomas has been a member of the Clemson faculty since 1983 and has research interests in the chemical and bio-chemical aspects of food. He has authored 34 journal articles, 48 abstracts and two book chapters, and holds six patents. Dr. Thomas is a member of the Sigma Xi Honor Society, the Institute of Packaging Professionals and serves as regional communicator for the Institute of Food Technologists. He is a member of the Board of Directors of SBP Technologies, Inc.

Dr. Sinnott is a Professor of Medicine and Director of the Division of Infectious Disease at the University of South Florida College of Medicine. In addition, he has served as Chief of Medicine and Chief of Staff at Tampa General Hospital and currently directs that hospital's infectious disease program. A distinguished member of the medical community, Dr. Sinnott has served on over 40 local, regional and national health care committees, and has published over 180 articles and textbook chapters. He joined the Board of Directors of Food Technology Service, Inc. in 2002.

Food Technology Service, Inc. President and CEO Dr. Richard Hunter said, "Mr. Bell and Dr. Thomas are great additions to our Board of Directors. Both have long and distinguished careers in their fields and a history of advocacy for protecting public health. I am confident that they will serve the company and the shareholders in an exemplary manner. Dr. Sinnott has been a valuable member of our board and I am pleased that he has been chosen as Chairman," said Hunter.

Mr. Bell and Dr. Thomas replace Frank Fraser and Tom Daw, both of whom died earlier this year. Mr. Bell and Dr. Thomas will stand for election along with other directors at the 2005 annual meeting of Food Technology Service, Inc. shareholders.