Chiquita Announces That Fresh Express Wins Coveted 'Black Pearl' Global Food Safety Award

International Association for Food Protection (IAFP) Judges Select Produce Pioneer for Leadership and 'Prevention First' Focus

CINCINNATI, May 17, 2010 - The International Association for Food Protection (IAFP) today announced
that Fresh Express - the nation's No. 1 producer of fresh salads and a wholly
owned subsidiary of Chiquita Brands (NYSE: CQB) - has been named recipient of
the prestigious Black Pearl Award for Corporate Excellence in Food Protection
and Quality.

"Each year IAFP honors a single company with our most prestigious award,
the Black Pearl, in recognition of that company's singular efforts in
advancing food safety and quality," said IAFP executive director David Tharp.
"This year, we are pleased to recognize Fresh Express for its adherence to
the highest standards of excellence in food protection, for its innovative
leadership in prevention-based food safety practices, for its exceptional
educational activities and for fostering a culture that is dedicated to
continually furthering the principles and goals of outstanding food safety."

"Receiving the prestigious Black Pearl is a genuine honor and a humbling
moment," said Fernando Aguirre, chairman and chief executive officer. "Each
week, millions of consumers enjoy Chiquita and Fresh Express products, with
full confidence in their safety. A commitment to food safety is not only part
of our strategy, but it is in our company DNA. We are very appreciative that
this commitment to food safety has been recognized by the premier
international food safety organization comprised of global food safety
leaders. Winning the Black Pearl has been compared to winning the Super Bowl
or the World Series by food safety experts. We are honored to accept this
coveted award."

Aguirre added, "We believe this is a testament to the diligence,
dedication and hard work of our team that "lives" food safety each and every
day. This is a milestone that we will celebrate as part of our continuous
research and innovation toward even higher standards of effectiveness. Our
desire is to always 'do the right thing' in order to protect the health and
well-being of our consumers, employees and communities."

Among the criteria that were successfully met by Fresh Express in winning
the Black Pearl Award were:

    - Examples of contributions to public health principles and food safety
    - Evidence of products and services demonstrating a commitment to food
      safety
    - Evidence that facilities are designed with food safety and sanitation
      as a primary concern
    - Evidence of adherence to food safety regulations
    - Evidence of community and consumer programming and education to promote
      food safety
    - Evidence and support showing promotion of ethical and fair business
      practices

The Black Pearl Award will be officially presented to Chiquita - Fresh
Express food safety executives at IAFP's annual meeting being held in
Anaheim, CA, August 1-4. Past recipients of the Black Pearl have included
Schnuck's Markets, Inc., 3M, Ecolab, DuPont, Walt Disney World, Kraft Foods,
Darden, Albertson's and H-E-B.

From its inception as a fresh foods company, Fresh Express has held
excellence in food protection as its highest priority. The company developed
and currently employs a unique and comprehensive "Fresh Express 7- Steps of
Prevention Food Safety Program," a synchronized set of proprietary food
safety practices that apply across the entire supply chain from seed
development, growing and harvesting to manufacturing and delivery to
customers nationwide. With the invention of its special Keep Crisp(R) Bag
beginning in the early 1980s, Fresh Express pioneered the retail packaged
salad category and was the first to make them available to grocery stores
nationwide. More than 20 million consumers enjoy Fresh Express salads,
spinach and greens every week. For more information, visit
www.freshexpress.com.

ABOUT THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR FOOD PROTECTION

IAFP provides food safety professionals worldwide with a forum to
exchange information on protecting the food supply. This is achieved through
two monthly journals; the Journal for Food Protection and Food Protection
Trends, an online newsletter titled the IAFP Report and through an Annual
Meeting in North America where research topics on food safety issues are
presented. IAFP also holds a three-day symposium in Europe each year and a
separate, annual, international symposium in addition to supporting food
safety events in Dubai and China. For more information, visit
www.foodprotection.org.

About Chiquita Brands International, Inc.

Chiquita Brands International, Inc. (NYSE: CQB) 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 our corporate web site at
www.chiquitabrands.com.

Ed Loyd, +1-513-784-8935, eloyd at chiquita.com, or Barbara Hines, +1-972-724-3049, barbara at stratagentcorp.com