Chiquita Announces Joint Venture With Danone

Complementary Strengths to Efficiently Expand Just Fruit in a Bottle(R) in Europe Enables Further Development of Additional Healthy Branded Products

CINCINNATI, March 30, 2010 - Chiquita Brands International, Inc. (NYSE: CQB) today announced a joint
venture with Danone to market fruit beverages based on Chiquita's Just Fruit
in a Bottle(R) platform in Europe. Chiquita's partnership with Danone
establishes an alliance between two companies whose values and product
portfolios represent a rich legacy of bringing branded, innovative, healthy
foods to consumers around the world. In only four years, Chiquita's Just
Fruit in a Bottle(R) product has become a market leading brand of fruit
smoothie in Europe with distribution in 12 countries, generating
approximately euro 20 million of sales in 2009. The joint venture will
provide Chiquita a new platform to expand its successful branded fruit
beverage products in a more effective manner to achieve profitability.

"Chiquita's partnership with Danone leverages both firms' complementary
strengths and will enable us to expand Just Fruit in a Bottle much faster and
more efficiently across Europe, substantially increasing revenues and
profitability," said Fernando Aguirre, chairman and chief executive officer.
"Combining our iconic brand equity, sales expertise, and strong supply chain
management with Danone's complementary geographic presence and its
world-class nutrition research and development capabilities will allow us to
make our best innovation in Europe bigger, better and more profitable
faster."

Under the agreement, Chiquita and Danone will become financial and
operational partners in a new joint venture managed by Danone and
headquartered in Paris as the exclusive distributor of Chiquita Just Fruit in
a Bottle(R) and all future Chiquita branded beverage products in Europe.
Chiquita will provide local sales, marketing and supply chain services.

"We are excited to partner with Chiquita in providing consumers with
healthy, fruit-based, fresh products," said Bernard Hours, co-chief operating
officer of Danone. "The combination of Danone healthy European footprint
together with Chiquita's operational expertise in fruit-based drinks will
create exciting growth opportunities."

Danone is a global leader in healthy food products. The agreement with
Danone builds upon Chiquita's innovation program to create new synergies that
strengthen the company's long-term profitable growth and competitive
position. Through this partnership, both companies will extend their category
leadership and capabilities in retail and convenience channels.

Chiquita will receive a one-time cash payment for a 51 percent interest
in the joint venture and license its trademark to the new entity and expects
the transaction to be immediately accretive to earnings. Full financial terms
have not been disclosed. The agreement will be fully executed once approved
by European regulatory authorities and is expected to be completed in the
first half of 2010. Chiquita and Danone are committed to a seamless
integration with no impact to customers and suppliers.

About Chiquita Brands International, Inc.

Chiquita Brands International, Inc. is a leading international marketer
and distributor of high-quality fresh and value-added food products - from
energy-rich bananas and other fruits to nutritious blends of convenient green
salads. The company markets its healthy, fresh products under the Chiquita(R)
and Fresh Express(R) premium brands and other related trademarks. With annual
revenues of US$3.5 billion, Chiquita employs approximately 21,000 people and
has operations in nearly 80 countries worldwide. For more information, please
visit www.chiquitabrands.com.

About Danone

Danone is a Fortune 500 company and one of the most successful healthy
food companies in the world. Its mission is to bring health through food to
as many people as possible. Fulfilling this mission is a major contributor to
Danone's continuous rapid growth. Danone, with 160 plants and around 80,000
employees, has a presence in all five continents and over 120 countries. In
2009, Danone recorded euro 15 billion in sales. Danone enjoys leading
positions on healthy food in four businesses: fresh dairy products (n degree
1 worldwide), water (n degree 2 on the packaged water market), baby nutrition
(n degree 2 worldwide) and medical nutrition. Listed on Euronext Paris,
Danone is also ranked among the main indexes of social responsibility: Dow
Jones Sustainability Index Stoxx and World, ASPI Eurozone and Ethibel
Sustainability index.

Ed Loyd, +1-513-784-8935, eloyd at chiquita.com