Landec Corporation, a developer and marketer of technology-based polymer products for food, agricultural and licensed partner applications, introduced the latest product offerings of its food subsidiary Apio, Inc., at the Produce Marketing Association's Fresh Summit convention held October 19 through 22 in Orlando, Florida. The Company featured products under its existing Eat Smart® brand and the newly added Dole® brand. The newest Eat Smart brand product offerings include four unique microwave-able side dishes with gourmet sauces and a new mini vegetable party tray created to broaden its existing line of market leading retail party trays. The Dole brand products, which are produced, marketed and sold by Apio, debuted at the convention and consist of a complete line of specialty packaged Dole brand fresh-cut vegetable products and party trays.

The company began the first commercial shipments of the Dole brand retail products from its Guadalupe, California headquarters in October. "The attention garnered by the introduction of the Dole brand fresh-cut vegetable line at the PMA demonstrates the impact that a national brand can generate in the market," stated Nick Tompkins, Apio's Chief Executive Officer.

The new Eat Smart microwave-able fresh vegetable side dish line consists of broccoli with cheese sauce, vegetable medley with southwestern herb sauce, broccoli and carrots with roasted red pepper gorgonzola sauce and carrots with butter ginger sauce. The sides are conveniently packaged in a microwave-able tray, which contain multiple servings and are ready to eat in just three minutes. These items complement the existing Eat Smart fresh-cut vegetable category and provide a convenient, fresh and ready-to-eat meal component for today's busy, health-conscious consumers.

Additionally, Apio unveiled a new 19-ounce mini vegetable tray, its latest addition to the existing party tray line. The tray utilizes the same ingredients as the company's existing 1.45-pound tray which include mini slim carrots, celery, broccoli and ranch dip. The innovative compact design provides added benefit to retailers by 1) reducing the shelf space required for merchandising and 2) providing an attractive lower priced vegetable tray. The new mini tray is available in both the Eat Smart and the Dole brands and has a 17-day shelf life for ease in merchandising and distribution.

In the latest data provided by AC Nielson, Apio continues to be the number one supplier of vegetable party trays to retail stores in the United States, capturing over 29% of the total vegetable party tray market. This was based on sales reported for retail grocery stores with average annual revenues over $2 million during the three months ended September 2003, a 6 percentage point gain in market share from the prior quarter.

At the PMA show Apio displayed the new Dole brand fresh-cut vegetable and party-tray line for the first time since entering into an exclusive multi-year licensing agreement with Dole Fresh Vegetables, Inc. in June. The produce display featured 12-ounce and 2-pound Dole brand fresh-cut vegetable products as well as five Dole brand vegetable party trays ranging in size from 19-ounces to 2.5-pounds.

Both the Eat Smart brand and the newly added Dole brand lines of packaged fresh-cut vegetables and party trays utilize Apio's proprietary Intelimer® packaging technology, which extends shelf life, reduces product shrink and compensates for temperature fluctuations throughout the distribution chain.

Since 1996, Apio has commercially marketed a complete line of fresh-cut vegetable products using Landec proprietary Intelimer specialty packaging under the Eat Smart brand. In June, the Company announced that it had entered into an exclusive packaging and marketing agreement with Dole Fresh Vegetables, Inc. for Apio to sell and distribute a line of fresh cut produce under the Dole brand in the United States. The Company's proprietary packaging technology provides an optimal atmosphere within the package to extend shelf life and preserve the freshness of the produce and allows the company to distribute its products without ice. The product line includes broccoli florets, broccoli slaw, broccoli and carrots, broccoli and cauliflower, cauliflower florets, vegetable medley and vegetable stir-fry in twelve-ounce, two-pound and three-pound packages. In addition to fresh-cut bagged vegetables, Apio has a full line of fresh-cut vegetable party trays packaged with Intelimer specialty packaging.

Landec Corporation designs, develops, manufactures and sells temperature-activated and other specialty polymer products for a variety of food, agricultural and licensed partner applications. The Company's temperature activated polymer products are based on its proprietary Intelimer polymers which differ from other polymers in that they can be customized to abruptly change their physical characteristics when heated or cooled through a pre-set temperature switch.