CINCINNATI, September 12 /PRNewswire/ --

- Industry Cost Pressures and Sluggish Recovery in Value-Added
Salads Are Offsetting Pricing Improvements

Chiquita Brands International, Inc. (NYSE: CQB) today provided an
intraquarter update for the third quarter 2007, including Chiquita banana and
Fresh Express retail value-added salad prices and volumes for July-August
2007. The company also provided further clarity on its outlook for the
balance of 2007, as well as an update on expected impacts from Hurricanes
Dean and Felix.

The company reported meaningful year-over-year banana price increases in
July and August in all markets. In addition, in its retail value-added salads
business, net revenue per case and volume rose modestly year-over-year,
despite continuing sluggish performance in the category overall.

"As a result of these trends, we anticipate a slight improvement in the
company's net sales in the third quarter compared to the same period in 2006,
but margins will be squeezed as cost pressures continue," said Fernando
Aguirre, chairman and chief executive officer. "Despite the near-term issues,
we believe we are on the right track and expect to report a greater level of
year-on-year improvement in the fourth quarter, which would continue the
positive year-on-year trend. We remain confident in our strategy to generate
sustainable, profitable growth by delivering innovative, higher-margin
products and building a high-performance organization."

As previously disclosed, the third quarter will reflect both higher
year-over-year cost of sales, due to higher industry and other operating
costs, and increased selling, general and administrative expenses, including
higher new product introduction and brand support investments and higher food
safety, marketing and merchandising expenses to drive recovery in the
value-added salads category. As a result, the company expects that its total
operating expenses will be approximately US$30 million higher than in the
third quarter 2006, and it continues to expect a modest year-over-year
improvement in its third quarter operating results.

Banana Segment

                       Year-over-Year Percentage Change(1)
                      July-August 2007 vs. July-August 2006

                                                                 % of Total
    CHIQUITA BANANAS             Pricing         Volume(2)        Volume Sold

    North America                  +5%             +2%                45%

    Core European Markets(3)
        U.S. dollar basis(4)      +17%              0%                35%
        Local currency basis      +10%

    Asia Pacific and the Middle
     East(5)                      +12%             -4%                15%

    Trading Markets               +43%            -72%                 5%

    (1)  These statistics may not be indicative of future results.
    (2)  Total volume sold includes all banana varieties, such as Chiquita to
         Go, Chiquita minis, organic bananas and plantains.
    (3)  The company's "core" European markets include the member states of
         the European Union (except new entrants Romania and Bulgaria, which
         continue to be reported in "trading" markets), Switzerland, Norway
         and Iceland.
    (4)  Prices on a U.S. dollar basis do not include the impact of hedging.
    (5)  In this region, the company primarily operates through joint
         ventures, and most business is invoiced in U.S. dollars.



North American banana pricing was up 5 percent year-over-year, reflecting
increases in base contract prices, higher year-on-year surcharges linked to a
third-party fuel price index, and higher market pricing on non-contract
volumes. Banana volume sold in the region rose 2 percent, as a result of
distribution gains.

Banana prices in the company's core European markets were up 10 percent
year-on-year on a local currency basis (up 17 percent on a U.S. dollar
basis), reflecting favorable comparisons to the year-ago quarter when
excessive heat in Europe depressed demand for bananas and the market had
excess supply. Volume sold in the core European markets was steady
year-over-year.

In Asia Pacific and the Middle East, pricing rose 12 percent year-on-year
on a U.S. dollar basis, primarily as a result of significant improvement in
local pricing in Japan, partially offset by unfavorable dollar-yen exchange
rates. Volume in this region fell by 4 percent year-over-year, primarily
related to continuing supply constraints in the Philippines, which resulted
in lower yields of premium-quality fruit.

In the company's trading markets, which consist primarily of European and
Mediterranean countries that do not belong to the European Union, pricing
rose 43 percent year-over-year, while the company's volume in this region
declined 72 percent, reflecting favorable comparisons to the year-ago quarter
when the market was significantly oversupplied.

Expected Impact from Hurricanes Dean and Felix

In late August, Hurricane Dean damaged important European sources of
bananas in the Caribbean, including Martinique, Guadeloupe, St. Lucia,
Dominica and Jamaica. The company does not source from these areas; however,
the banana industry overall has lost an estimated 300,000 to 400,000 boxes
per week of normal supply, or approximately 6 to 8 percent of the five
million boxes of bananas shipped weekly to meet consumer demand in the
European Union. This shortfall, and the corresponding favorable pricing
environment, is likely to affect the European market for six to nine months,
or longer, depending on the extent of the damage.

In early September, Hurricane Felix made landfall in Central America. The
company believes that damage to Chiquita's sources of supply has been
minimal.

Salads and Healthy Snacks Segment

                       Year-over-Year Percentage Change(1)
                      July-August 2007 vs. July-August 2006

    FRESH EXPRESS RETAIL
    VALUE-ADDED SALADS      Net Revenue Per Case           Volume

    North America                   +3%                      +1%

    (1) These statistics may not be indicative of future results.



In the Salads and Healthy Snacks segment, total volume of retail
value-added salads was up 1 percent and net revenue per case was up 3 percent
year-over-year in the two-month period. The company remains the only brand to
report year-on-year growth, in the face of continuing soft overall category
performance.

About Chiquita Brands International, Inc.

With annual revenues of approximately US$4.5 billion, 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's products and services are designed to win the hearts
and smiles of the world's consumers by helping them enjoy healthy fresh
foods. The company markets its products under the Chiquita(R) and Fresh
Express(R) premium brands and other related trademarks. Chiquita employs
approximately 25,000 people operating in more than 70 countries worldwide.
For more information, please visit our web site at www.chiquita.com.

This press release contains certain statements that are "forward-looking
statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform
Act of 1995. These statements are subject to a number of assumptions, risks
and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the control of Chiquita,
including the impact of the 2006 conversion to a tariff-only banana import
regime in the European Union; unusual weather conditions; industry and
competitive conditions; financing; product recalls affecting the industry;
the customary risks experienced by global food companies, such as the impact
of product and commodity prices, food safety, currency exchange rate
fluctuations, government regulations, labor relations, taxes, crop risks,
political instability and terrorism; and the outcome of pending governmental
investigations and claims involving the company.

Any forward-looking statements made in this press release speak as of the
date made and are not guarantees of future performance. Actual results or
developments may differ materially from the expectations expressed or implied
in the forward-looking statements, and the company undertakes no obligation
to update any such statements. Additional information on factors that could
influence Chiquita's financial results is included in its SEC filings,
including its Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and
Current Reports on Form 8-K.

Web site: http://www.chiquita.com