Regional Expansion: College Inn(R) ''Comes Home (to the Southeast) for the Holidays''; Consumer Taste-Test Indicates College Inn Chicken Broth ''Tastes More Like Homemade'' Than Swanson(R)

"Tasting is believing and we found that more than 50 percent ofconsumers preferred the homemade taste of College Inn chicken broth toSwanson(R) chicken broth," said Liam Farrell, director of marketing atDel Monte Foods, makers of College Inn. "This is great news as thepreferred taste of College Inn comes home to parts of the Southeastfor the holiday cooking season."

A widely used "secret ingredient" for both holiday and everydaycooking since 1923, College Inn's reputation for superior homemadeflavor is the driving force for sharing the product line with cooks inthe Southeast this holiday season. College Inn broth products are nowavailable at major grocery retailers in Alabama, Florida, Georgia andMissouri and offer a variety of chicken, turkey, beef and vegetablebroths that taste homemade.

"I use canned broth freely in my holiday cooking and really likethe results," said southern-born Art Smith, celebrity chef andcookbook author. "It is good to know that my family and friends in thesouth can now find College Inn broth in their own local grocery store- best of all, now I don't have to send it to them from my home inChicago. Some chefs and home cooks are insistent about making theirown stock, but why bother when you have products like College Inn withthe richness and flavor of homemade broth?"

Tasting Is Believing

A recent study conducted on behalf of College Inn found that morethan 50 percent of consumers preferred the homemade taste of CollegeInn chicken broth to Swanson chicken broth. More than 300 consumers in10 markets, including Baltimore, Brooklyn, Denver, Miami, Milwaukee,Oklahoma City, Pittsburgh, San Diego, St. Louis and Syracuse,participated in the blind taste test.

While research suggests that College Inn chicken broth continuesto be a favorite among consumers 34-54 years of age, a "nextgeneration of cooks," those consumers 21-34 years of age, preferredCollege Inn by 60 percent compared to Swanson chicken broth.

Spreading Holiday Cheer

Home cooks need to look no further than the soup aisle in thecenter of the grocery store to find a variety of College Inn products.Major grocery retailers where College Inn is available this holidayseason include, but is not limited to, Albertsons, AssociatedWholesale Grocers, Inc. (AWG), Kroger and Schnucks. Also, the brandwill be announcing its arrival in the Southeastern states of Alabama,Florida, Georgia and Missouri starting in October with a fullmarketing campaign complete with outdoor billboards, coupon offers andtelevision advertising.

This Holiday... The Secret's in the Stock

Made with the finest ingredients and simmered slowly toperfection, College Inn adds homemade flavor and a splash ofsophistication to a pantry staple that is arguably one of the mostimportant ingredients in any holiday meal. Varieties include:

-- College Inn Chicken Broth

-- College Inn Light & Fat Free Chicken Broth

-- College Inn Beef Broth

-- College Inn Beef Broth French Onion Style

-- College Inn Fat Free & Lower Sodium Beef Broth

-- College Inn Garden Vegetable Broth

-- College Inn Chicken Broth with Roasted Garlic

-- College Inn Chicken Broth with Roasted Vegetables & Herb

-- College Inn Chicken Broth with Lemon and Herb

-- College Inn Turkey Broth

"When it comes to cooking traditional holiday classics like my'Spiced Sweet Potato Soup' or 'Holiday Chicken,' you need to startwith quality ingredients that are going to help you create the flavorsyou grew-up with," said Smith. "I can tell you that my pantry isstocked with College Inn broths, especially now as I'm preparing forThanksgiving, Christmas, New Years and everything in-between."

About Del Monte Foods

Del Monte Foods is one of the country's largest and most wellknown producers, distributors and marketers of premium quality,branded and private label food and pet products for the U.S. retailmarket, generating over $3 billion in pro forma net sales in fiscal2004. With a powerful portfolio of brands including Del Monte(R),Contadina(R), StarKist(R), S&W(R), Nature's Goodness(TM), CollegeInn(R), 9Lives(R), Kibbles 'n Bits(R), Pup-Peroni(R), Snausages(R),Pounce (R) and Meaty Bone (R). Del Monte products are found in nineout of ten American households. For more information on Del MonteFoods Company (NYSE:DLM), visit the Company's website atwww.delmonte.com.

Editor's Note: Below are two Southern-inspired holiday recipescreated by Chef Art Smith that use a variety of College Inn products.Photographs of the recipes are available upon request. Please visit,www.collegeinn.com for additional recipe ideas that will help any cookcreate the homemade flavors that are synonymous with the holidayseason.
Art Smith's Holiday Chicken Breasts with Dried Cranberry Orange Sauce
Infused with orange and cranberry, start a new family tradition this
holiday by serving this colorful and flavorful dish.

Ingredients:
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons butter, divided
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts halves, about 6 ounces each,
trimmed and lightly pounded to uniform thickness
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 scallion chopped, divided
1 navel orange, zested and fruit segmented
1/2 cup College Inn(R) Light & Fat Free Chicken Broth
1 teaspoon brown sugar
Salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Preparation:

1. Soak cranberries in orange juice for 20 minutes. Drain and set
aside, reserving the orange juice for the sauce.

2. Heat 1 tablespoon butter in a large non-stick skillet over
medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook about 4 minutes, or until
lightly browned on both sides, turning once. Remove chicken from
skillet.

3. Add garlic and white part of scallion to skillet, and cook
about 1 minute. Add the orange zest, reserved orange juice and
broth. Return chicken to skillet and bring to boil.

4. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer about 12 minutes,
or until chicken is no longer pink in center. Transfer chicken
to serving platter.

5. Add brown sugar to sauce in same skillet over high heat. Bring
to boil and cook about 3 minutes, or until the liquid has been
reduced by one-half, stirring frequently. Remove skillet from
heat and whisk in remaining 1 tablespoon butter. Stir in
cranberries and season with salt and freshly ground pepper to
taste. Top chicken with sauce, and garnish with green scallions
and orange segments.

Servings: 4

Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes

Nutrition Information Per Serving: Calories 320; Calories from fat 80;
Total fat 9g; Saturated fat 5g; Cholesterol 90mg; Sodium 160mg;
Carbohydrate 34g; Fiber 3g; Protein 27g


Art Smith's Spiced Sweet Potato Soup
Serving a beautiful and delicious bowl of soup is the ideal way to
begin any holiday meal. Made with the finest ingredients and simmered
slowly to perfection, College Inn(R) adds homemade flavor and a splash
of sophistication to this holiday dish.

Ingredients:
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 cups sweet potatoes, peeled & diced
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 teaspoon ground ginger
5 cups College Inn(R) Light & Fat Free Chicken Broth
1 cup light coconut milk
Salt & freshly ground pepper, to taste

Preparation:

1. Cook onion, celery and garlic in oil in large saucepan over
medium heat, 5 minutes, or until onion is tender, stirring
occasionally.

2. Add sweet potatoes, curry powder and ginger; stir well. Add
broth and bring to boil over high heat. Reduce heat and simmer
about 30 minutes.

3. Puree mixture in blender. Return soup to pot and stir in
coconut milk over low heat (do not boil). Season with salt and
pepper to taste and serve hot.

Servings: 4 to 6

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 45 minutes

Nutrition Information Per Serving: Calories 300; Calories from fat 70;
Total fat 8g; Saturated fat 3.5g; Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 850mg;
Carbohydrate 51g; Fiber 8g; Protein 5g