100 Finalists Announced for Million-Dollar Pillsbury Bake-off(R) Contest; Contest Moves to New Date and Location in Orlando

Contest sponsors also announced that the competition finals aremoving to Orlando's Gaylord Palms Hotel and Convention Center, becauseits original location in Miami unexpectedly is closing for renovation.The competition dates will shift one day later, to take place March19-22, 2006. The 42nd Pillsbury Bake-Off(R) Contest is sponsored byGeneral Mills, General Electric, American Dairy Association,SPLENDA(R) Sugar Blend for Baking, The Hershey Company, Baker'sSecret(R) Bakeware and The J.M. Smucker Company.

From the tens of thousands of recipe entries, contest officialsused rigorous screening, taste panels and kitchen testing to selectthe 100 finalists. The 100 recipes were chosen from among consumers'best original entries in six recipe categories: Cooking for Two, BrandNew You, Dinner Made Easy(TM), Weekends Made Special, Wake Up toBreakfast(TM), and Simple Snacks.

On March 21, the finalists will prepare their recipes in 100 GEmini kitchens set up especially for the Bake-Off(R) Contest at theGaylord Palms Hotel. Working in jury room secrecy, a panel of foodexperts will taste the recipes prepared by the finalists and selectthe contest winners, who will be announced on March 22. The contestsponsors will provide the hundreds of measuring cups, mixing spoons,fry pans and other cooking equipment required.

Each of the 100 finalists has already won a trip to Orlando forthe Bake-Off(R) finals. In addition to the million-dollar prize, thegrand prize winner will receive a set of GE Profile(TM) StainlessSteel Kitchen Appliances, including a wall oven, built-in Advantium(R)oven, dishwasher, cooktop, hood and refrigerator (approximate retailvalue $10,000). Each of the other five category winners will earn$10,000 plus a GE Profile(TM) oven with Trivection(TM) Technology.

Seven additional awards will be presented to winners chosen fromany of the recipe categories. America's Favorite Recipe Award of$10,000 will go to the recipe most popular with consumers by onlinevoting beginning mid-January 2006, when the 100 recipes will bereleased. The $10,000 Receta Rica Award will recognize a recipe thatcreatively uses Hispanic-inspired flavors, ingredients or techniquesfrom cuisines such as Mexican, Cuban, Latin American, South Americanor Caribbean.

The recipe rated most innovative by the judges will earn the GEImagination at Work Award and a set of GE Profile(TM) KitchenAppliances (approximate retail value $10,000). The American DairyAssociation will award three $10,000 prizes for the 3-A-Day(TM) ofDairy Awards. These will recognize the most delicious and nutritiousrecipes containing at least one serving of milk, cheese or yogurt perrecipe serving. Recipes eligible for these awards need to beconsidered "better for you," using healthier cooking techniques andlower-fat ingredients.

The SPLENDA(R) Pure Magic Award and $10,000 will go to the bestrecipe using at least 1/2 cup of SPLENDA(R) Sugar Blend for Baking.

Finalists had to use at least two eligible products in theirrecipes, selected from a list of more than 65 popular ingredients,many available in a variety of flavors. Among the popular brandsrepresented are Pillsbury(R), Progresso(R), Old El Paso(R), GreenGiant(R), Yoplait(R), Cheerios(R), Chex(R), Total(R), NatureValley(R), Hamburger Helper(R), Muir Glen(R) and Cascadian Farm(R).

Smucker's sponsorship reflects its ownership of Pillsbury brandedbaking items, including flour, ready-to-spread frosting and browniemixes, which are among the eligible products.

For the contest finals, The Hershey Company will provide itspremium quality chocolate products, including items such as Hershey'sbaking chips, Hershey's baking chocolate and Hershey's cocoa, andother baking ingredients. Bakeware needed for contest recipes will beprovided by Baker's Secret(R) Bakeware.

For more information, visit the Bake-Off(R) Contest Web site atwww.pillsbury.com. The site provides a complete list of finalists aswell as recipes and history from the contest's 50 years.

About the Sponsors

General Mills is a leading global manufacturer and marketer ofconsumer foods products. Its more than 100 U.S. consumer brandsinclude Pillsbury, Green Giant, Old El Paso, Betty Crocker, Cheerios,Wheaties and other Big G cereal brands, Yoplait, Nature Valley,Totino's, Progresso and more. Visit www.generalmills.com for companyinformation.

GE Consumer & Industrial spans the globe as an industry leader inmajor appliance, lighting and integrated industrial equipment, systemsand services. Providing solutions for commercial, industrial andresidential use in more than 100 countries, GE Consumer & Industrialuses innovative technologies and "ecomagination," a GE initiative toaggressively bring to market new technologies that help customers andconsumers meet pressing environmental challenges, to deliver comfort,convenience and electrical protection and control. General Electric(NYSE: GE) brings imagination to work, selling products under theMonogram(R), Profile(TM) GE(R), Hotpoint(R), SmartWater(TM) Reveal(R)and Edison(TM) consumer brands, and Entellisys(TM) industrial brand.For more information, consumers may visit www.ge.com.

3-A-Day(TM) of Dairy is a health and wellness campaign launched bythe American Dairy Association/National Dairy Council (ADA/NDC) inJanuary 2003 to build awareness of the health benefits of getting 3servings of milk, cheese or yogurt a day. 3-A-Day(TM) of Dairy issupported by fully integrated marketing efforts including retailpromotions, public relations, online marketing and advertising. TheADA/NDC is managed by Dairy Management Inc., the nonprofit domesticand international marketing, planning and management organization forU.S.-produced dairy products on behalf of America's dairy farmers.

SPLENDA(R) Sugar Blend for Baking is a mix of SPLENDA(R) BrandSweetener and sugar, which allows consumers to achieve baked goodsthat brown, rise and have great texture. Consumers will only need touse half a cup of SPLENDA(R) Sugar Blend for Baking to replace a fullcup of sugar, which enables them to reduce the calories from regularsugar by half and achieve the sweetness and performance they want intheir baked goods. SPLENDA(R) Sugar Blend for Baking can now be foundat grocery stores nationwide in a 2 lb. re-sealable plastic bag, thatprovides the sweetness of 4 lbs. of pure sugar. You can find out moreabout SPLENDA(R) Brand or get recipes and tips on cooking and bakingwith SPLENDA(R) products at www.SPLENDA.com or by calling1-800-7-SPLENDA (1-800-777-5363).

The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY) is a leading snack food companyand the largest North American manufacturer of quality chocolate andnon-chocolate confectionery products. With revenues of over $4 billionand more than 13,000 employees worldwide, The Hershey Company marketssuch well-known brands as Hershey's, Reese's, Hershey's Kisses, KitKat, Almond Joy, Mounds, Jolly Rancher, Twizzlers, Ice Breakers, andMauna Loa, as well as innovative new products such as Take 5 andHershey's Cookies. In addition to its traditional confectioneryproducts, Hershey offers a range of products specifically developed toaddress the nutritional interests of today's health-consciousconsumer. These products include sugar-free Hershey's, Reese's andYork candies, as well as Hershey's SmartZone bars for people seekingbalanced nutrition. It also markets Hershey's cocoa, Hershey's syrupand other branded baking ingredients, toppings and beverages. Inaddition, Artisan Confections Company, a wholly owned subsidiary ofThe Hershey Company, markets premium chocolate offerings, includingScharffen Berger, known for its high-cacao dark chocolate products,and Joseph Schmidt, recognized for its fine, handcrafted chocolategifts. Visit us at http://www.hersheynewsroom.com.

Baker's Secret(R) is the original non-stick metal bakeware thatperforms great from start to finish. Baker's Secret(R) offers thereliability of traditional bakeware with the benefits of uniqueinnovation. Baker's Secret(R) consumers use this line of metalbakeware because it provides even baking results, easy release ofbaked goods and effortless cleanup. For more information, consumersmay visit www.bakerssecret.com or call 1-800-999-3436.

The J.M. Smucker Company - Pillsbury desserts and baking mixes aremanufactured and marketed by The J.M. Smucker Company (NYSE:SJM). Thecompany's Pillsbury brand products include mixes for brownies, cakes,muffins and quick breads; ready-to-spread frosting; and flour. Formore information and recipe ideas, visit www.pillsburybaking.com.Pillsbury is a registered trademark of The Pillsbury Company, usedunder license.