KROGER TO SUPPORT ANIMAL WELFARE GUIDELINES DEVELOPED BY THE FOOD MARKETING INSTITUTE

CINCINNATI, OH, May 31, 2002 -- The Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR) today said it continues to support the Food Marketing Institute’s development of an animal welfare program and that the Company will require its suppliers to adopt the program’s “best practice” guidelines when they are issued by FMI in early summer.

FMI began reviewing the issue of animal welfare in 2001 at the request of its member companies, including Kroger, Albertson’s, Safeway and others. Last June, FMI teamed up with the National Council of Chain Restaurants (NCCR) to jointly address animal welfare issues. During the past 12 months, FMI and NCCR have been working with their members and leading animal welfare experts to develop science-based guidelines that will strengthen animal welfare practices across species. The experts include:

• Adele Douglas, Executive Director, Farm Animal Services
• David Fraser, PhD, Professor, University of British Columbia
• Gail C. Golab, PhD, DVM, American Veterinary Medical Association
• Temple Grandin, PhD., Assistant Professor, Department of Animal Sciences, Colorado State University
• Joy Mench, PhD, Professor, Animal Science, University of California - Davis
• Joe Mac Regenstein, PhD., Professor of Food Science, Department of Food Science, Cornell University
• Janice Swanson, PhD, Associate Professor, Animal Sciences and Industry, Kansas State University

FMI and NCCR will issue a report early this summer that includes “best practice” guidelines to ensure the humane treatment of animals.

Kroger today said it will communicate the guidelines to its suppliers and will require its suppliers to adopt them. The company also announced it will continue to participate in the FMI/NCCR Animal Welfare Program.

“We look forward to the guidelines that will be part of the FMI/NCCR report,” said Lynn Marmer, Kroger’s Group Vice President for Corporate Affairs. “We strongly believe this joint industry effort, with retailers and restaurants working together with leading animal welfare experts, will make more progress in the humane treatment of animals than what any company could achieve by acting alone. Kroger has supported the FMI/NCCR Animal Welfare Program since its inception and we will continue to support its ongoing research, technical review and engagement of the scientific community.”

She said the FMI/NCCR guidelines will have “objective, measurable indices for humane practices in the growing, handling and processing of animals in food production. In addition, the report will include recommendations for auditing and monitoring compliance, which Kroger will support. The involvement of the chain restaurants – including McDonald’s, Wendy’s, Burger King and others – in the Animal Welfare Program has been very beneficial. Together we can continue to improve the treatment of animals.”

Headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, Kroger is one of the nation’s largest retail grocery chains. At the end of fiscal 2001, the Company (either directly or through its subsidiaries) operated 2,418 supermarkets and multi-department stores in 32 states under approximately two dozen banners, including Kroger, Ralphs, Fred Meyer, Food 4 Less, King Soopers, Smith’s, Fry’s and Fry’s Marketplace, Dillon, QFC and City Market. Kroger also operates (either directly or through its subsidiaries) 789 convenience stores, 427 fine jewelry stores, 227 supermarket fuel centers and 41 food processing plants. For more information about Kroger, please visit our web site at www.kroger.com.

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