Master's Touch in PMA Fresh Submit 2001

For Release: September 19, 2001

Bionova Fresh Launches products and promotions during Fresh Summit 2001

San Diego, CA. – Bionova Fresh / Master’s Touch will participate in PMA Fresh Summit 2001 in booth 1607 with success stories about their new VineSweet Mini Peppers, Master’s Touch Fitness Team performances, the 3^rd Annual Chefs Choice Awards, VineSweet sampling, and a preview of planned new products for 2002, including a proprietary tomato and full line of organic fresh fruits and vegetables. Produce Pete Napolitano will be on hand to greet booth visitors and plans to originate segments for his TV program on WCAU, Philadelphia’s NBC affiliate.

With impressive test results in Los Angeles during 4^th quarter, 1999, and assured year round availability, Bionova Fresh will conduct a national launch of a proprietary vine ripe tomato. “Our new ‘FULL FLAVOR REDS® provide real tomato taste , more firmness and significantly less shrinkage than commercial tomatoes,” said Jose Antonio Sanchez, Bionova Fresh of the new product development team. “Our marketing theme will say they ‘TASTE LIKE A TOMATO SHOULD’ which reflects consumer attitudes from market research.”

“In addition to excellent consumer feedback on FULL FLAVOR REDS, sales were equally strong posting a 25% increase over the same month during the previous year; and move overall tomato sales up by 65% during the promotional period vs. the previous month,” he said.

During PMA Fresh Summit 2001, Bionova Fresh will sample their proprietary VineSweet Mini Peppers and provide more details about the availability of the Full Flavor Red tomato. Bionova’s 1,600 square foot booth will include a stage where the Master’s Touch Fitness Team will perform three times each hour during regular PMA show hours.

Bionova Fresh will also announce plans to launch a full line of organic fruits and vegetables including roma and round tomatoes, green bell peppers, eggplant, zucchini squash, red and yellow pear tomatoes, and pineapple.

“Organic fruits and vegetables are naturally grown in Mexico,” said Bionova’s Javier Chousal. “The certified organic program that we plan will be available on a year round basis.” The company is presently seeking additional organically grown items to complete their organic line.

“Traditional plant breeding is enabling us to create proprietary products that add value and variety to our product line,” Mr. Chousal said. “As the health benefits of fresh produce escalate in the U.S., our new products and entry into the organic market will enable us to provide full service to customers and some very exciting new options for the produce department in the future.”

This year’s successful launch of Bionova’s VineSweet Mini Pepper product including aggressive marketing that included advertising, publicity, special events and a full range of point of sale material. According to Mr. Sanchez, Bionova Fresh plans to build on this success with flexible instore display options including a free standing display that will accommodate clamshell packages of VineSweet Mini Peppers, grape tomatoes or organic items.

VineSweet Mini Pepper and grape tomato lines will be available on a year round basis; with ample supply for customer who have found the VineSweet Mini Pepper a particularly popular item.

“Fresh produce is fast becoming not just a healthy food choice, but one that prevents disease,” he said. “With no sodium, cholesterol or fat our VineSweet Mini-Peppers, for example, reflect a new generation of value-added products with more to come.”

Bionova Fresh places a premium on food safety that will not be compromised. This year a second third-party certifier, Primus Labs, will join Scientific Certification System/ NutriClean to ensure the quality and safety of all the fruits and vegetables they grow and ship.

“Food safety and quality assurance are at the center of each of our product lines,” said Mr. Sanchez. “Increasing our lab testing capacity will enable us to bring products on line that fold into our existing quality control protocol. We value the input of our third-party food safety consultants and use it for training, growing and harvesting, processing and distribution of all of our products.”

Increasing demand for consistent supplies of fresh fruit have prompted the company to re-focus operations at their McAllen, Texas, distribution facility. “We are adding to our McAllen capabilities to support our grower partners in Southern Mexico and respond to our retail customers in the U.S,” Mr. Sanchez said.

Bionova Fresh will have senior managers available throughout PMA’s Fresh Summit 2001 to meet with customers on the changes that are envisioned for the company during the coming year. In addition to the VineSweet Mini Pepper, Full Flavor Reds and organic line; Bionova will continue to grow and ship the following products: vine-ripe tomato, roma tomato , grape tomato, greenhouse tomato, cluster greenhouse tomato, red bell pepper, yellow bell pepper, orange bell pepper, greenhouse red bell pepper, greenhouse yellow bell pepper, hot peppers, cantaloupe, honeydew, watermelon, seedless watermelon, Italian squash, yellow squash, cucumber, green beans, eggplant, mango ataulfo*, mango Tommy Atkins*, maradol papaya, strawberries, bananas, pineapple, and perlette grape, flame grape, sugraone grape, red globe grape (*Canada only).

Master’s Touch is the brand name for fresh produce that is shipped exclusively by Bionova Produce, Inc., RB Packing of California, Inc.; Bionova Produce of Texas, Inc.; Premier Fruits and Vegetables BBL, Incl., Montreal, Quebec; and Interfruver de Mexico, S.A. de C.V.