SODEXHO WINS FOOD ALLIANCE "KEEPER OF THE VISION AWARD" FOR OFFERING SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTS AT USA COLLEGES

GAITHERSBURG, MD, April 12, 2005 - Foodservice leader Sodexho USA announced today that it has been awarded the 2005 Keeper of the Vision Award for a Sustainable Future from Food Alliance Midwest, an affilliate of the nation's premier certification organization for sustainable products. The award came in recognition of Sodexho's role as an industry innovator in utilizing fruits, vegetables and other sustainable products in its food service programs at college campuses in the upper region of the Midwest. Sustainable products are those considered to be environmentally friendly and socially responsible, and Food Alliance certified farmers must meet strict standards in reducing the use of pesticides, conserving natural resources and wildlife habitats conservation and providing safe and fair conditions for their workers.

Sodexho currently offers foods certified as sustainable by Food Alliance at about a dozen colleges and universities in the Northwest and Midwest, with plans to officially expand into Sodexho's Healthcare and Corporate Divisions. Students at these “sustainable” campuses enjoy Food Alliance certified foods produced in season by local farmers including green and red peppers, green beans, sweet corn, squash, apples, apple cider and potatoes.

“Sodexho is extremely pleased and proud that our commitment towards building a healthy and sustainable future has been recognized by Food Alliance,” said Don Kulick, Sodexho USA Campus Services' district manager. “As the nation's leading provider of food service on college campuses and K-12 schools, we believe we have a special obligation to support and encourage the use of products that are produced in a socially responsible manner. Our partnership with Food Alliance has enabled us to promote sustainable development at all levels of our organization and the communities we serve and we look forward to increasing that commitment in the months and years ahead.”

For the past several years, Sodexho has sought to utilize local and regional farmers and producers for procuring in-season products for its operations nationwide, making sustainable goods available to its customers at campuses, schools, health care facilities, and corporate accounts, with units receiving up to 40 percent of their produce from local growers.

In order for farmers to meet Food Alliance standards for production of sustainable items, they must agree not to use genetically modified products, cannot utilize hormones or fee additive antibiotics in livestock production and must continually seek to improve various other management and production practices designed to reduce pesticides, conserve water and protect the soil, operate in a manner that protects adjacent wildlife habits, and offer safe and fair working conditions for their employees.

“Today's consumer wants to know that the food they eat is being prepared using ingredients grown in a socially responsible environment and that the companies they are doing business with are committed to encouraging sustainable development,” Kulick said. “Sodexho has been and will continue to be a leader and innovator in promoting the use of sustainable products and we encourage others in the food industry to join us in this important effort. We owe it to our customers, our world and, most importantly, to the generations who will come after us.”

Sodexho USA (www.sodexhoUSA.com) is the leading provider of food and facilities management in the United States, with $6 billion in annual revenue and 110,000+ employees. Sodexho USA offers innovative outsourcing solutions in food service, housekeeping, grounds keeping, plant operations and maintenance, asset management, and laundry services to more than 6,000 corporations, health care, long term care and retirement centers, schools, college campuses, military and remote sites in North America. Headquartered in Gaithersburg, MD, Sodexho USA proudly serves as the official food service provider for the US Marine Corps.