Dole Standard Fruit Company of Costa Rica Honored with Prestigious Industry Excellence Award

Business Wire, May 30, 2008

WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif. -- Dole Food Company announced today that for the second time in its history, Dole Standard Fruit Company de Costa Rica S.A. has been presented the "2007 Overall Excellence Award" bestowed by the Costa Rican Industry Association. This is the most prestigious honor that a company can obtain in Costa Rica. Standard Fruit also won the award in 2000.

Dole Standard Fruit was recognized as the most outstanding organization in the following categories: Leadership and Strategic Planning, Customer and Market Focus, and Innovation and Technology.

The Excellence Award was officially declared "of national interest" by the Government of Costa Rica in August 2000, thus conferring it the status of "National Quality Award of the Republic of Costa Rica." Over 290 companies have participated in the award process since its inception in 1997.

Danilo Roman, General Manager of Dole Standard Fruit, stated: "This achievement belongs to all our company employees and demonstrates the quality of our employees at all levels." He continued: "We are proud to belong to a successful organization which promotes the development of the talent of our employees, care for our environment, and offers high quality products to our customers."

Renato Acuna, Vice President for Government and Grower Relations at Dole Fresh Fruit International Limited added: "We must congratulate the Costa Rica Division for this award which is a reflection of the entrenched culture of permanent continuous improvement in this organization. We share with pride in this achievement."

Dole Standard Fruit is a leader in sustainable and environmentally friendly production and distribution methods, and recently partnered with Costa Rica's Ministry of the Environment and Energy to produce a carbon neutral supply chain for bananas and pineapples. Dole is seeking to neutralize the Company's carbon footprint resulting from the growing, harvesting, packaging and distribution of bananas and pineapples in Costa Rica.

Dole Food Company, Inc., with 2007 revenues of $6.9 billion, is the world's largest producer and marketer of high-quality fresh fruit, fresh vegetables and fresh-cut flowers. Dole markets a growing line of packaged and frozen foods and is a produce industry leader in nutrition education and research.