United Natural Foods Announces Partnership With Feeding America To Fight Hunger

PROVIDENCE, R.I., Nov. 2, 2010 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- United Natural Foods, Inc. (Nasdaq: UNFI) (the "Company"), the leading distributor of natural, organic and specialty foods and non-food products in the United States and Canada, is pleased to announce a new partnership with Feeding America, the leading domestic hunger-relief charity in the United States.  UNFI's commitment to the nationwide organization will focus on combating hunger in the communities the Company serves including through local food banks, soup kitchens, and shelters. Through each of the Company's U.S. distribution centers, UNFI will strive to reach families in need through its food donation program, as well as school children by sponsoring Feeding America's national BackPack Program.  

Feeding America is a leading philanthropic charity that supplies needed food to more than 37 million Americans each year, including 14 million children and 3 million seniors. Their goal is to eliminate starvation in America, and they have many different programs which target different age groups and areas of the country.

Tom Dziki, UNFI's Chief Human Resources and Sustainability Officer, commented, "We continue to support national and local organizations focused on improving lives in each community we serve. Feeding America is a terrific values-orientated organization that complements our tradition of charitable giving and we are proud to enter into a strategic partnership with them."

"We are thrilled that UNFI has partnered with Feeding America to help us with the tremendous task of providing food and groceries each and every week to more than 5.7 million Americans who are now living on the brink of hunger," said Ross Fraser, spokesperson for Feeding America. "We could not meet the challenge of helping so many people without the assistance of companies like UNFI."

Feeding America's BackPack program provides nutritious, kid-friendly food for children to take home on weekends and school vacations when school meals are not available.  The long term effect of childhood hunger is adults who are not prepared physically, mentally, emotionally or socially to productively join the workforce.  The Backpack Program targets elementary school children, who have the greatest need for nutrients in their formative years.  Launched nationally in 2006, the program has rapidly expanded in the past four years and currently provides backpacks filled with child-friendly food to more than 200,000 each year.  

About United Natural Foods

United Natural Foods, Inc. (www.unfi.com) carries and distributes more than 60,000 products to more than 23,000 customer locations in the United States and Canada. The Company serves a wide variety of retail formats including conventional supermarket chains, natural product superstores, independent retail operators and the food service channel. United Natural Foods, Inc. was ranked by Forbes in 2005 as one of the "Best Managed Companies in America," ranked by Fortune in 2006 - 2010 as one of its "Most Admired Companies," winner of the Supermarket News 2008 Sustainability Excellence Award, and recognized by the Nutrition Business Journal for its 2009 Environment and Sustainability Award.

Safe Harbor" Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: Statements in this press release regarding the Company's business that are not historical facts are "forward-looking statements" that involve risks and uncertainties and are based on current expectations and management estimates; actual results may differ materially. The risks and uncertainties which could impact these statements are described in the Company's filings under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, including its most recent Annual Report on Form 10−K for the year ended July 31, 2010, and include, but are not limited to, the Company's ability to successfully deploy its operational initiatives in the Canadian market; the Company's dependence on principal customers; the Company's sensitivity to general economic conditions, including the current economic environment, changes in disposable income levels and consumer spending trends; increased fuel costs; the Company's sensitivity to inflationary pressures; the relatively low margins and economic sensitivity of the Company's business; the ability to identify and successfully complete acquisitions of other natural, organic and specialty food and related product distributors; and management's allocation of capital and the timing of capital expenditures. Any forward-looking statements are made pursuant to the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and, as such, speak only as of the date made. The Company is not undertaking to update any information in the foregoing reports until the effective date of its future reports required by applicable laws. Any projections of future results of operations are based on a number of assumptions, many of which are outside the Company's control and should not be construed in any manner as a guarantee that such results will in fact occur. These projections are subject to change and could differ materially from final reported results. The Company may from time to time update these publicly announced projections, but it is not obligated to do so.

SOURCE United Natural Foods, Inc.