Press Release Details

The shareholders elected each of current directors Joseph M. Cianciolo and Kevin T. Michel to three-year terms. As previously announced, Richard S. Youngman was also elected to a three-year term but retired from his positions of UNFI Director and President effective after the Annual Meeting to pursue other interests. It was announced by the Board of UNF, that Steve Townsend, President of UNFI, has been appointed to replace Mr. Youngman as a Director. Mr. Townsend was elected for a three-year term.

Mr. Townsend is a 20-year industry veteran who has devoted a major portion of his career to United Natural Foods. He served as the Company’s Chief Financial Officer from its Initial Public Offering in 1996 to 1997 and as the Company’s Eastern Region President since January 2000. Prior to that, from 1983 to 1995, Mr. Townsend served in a variety of executive operational and financial positions with Cornucopia Natural Foods, the Company’s predecessor.

Additionally, an amendment to UNF’s Amended and Restated 1996 Stock Option Plan was adopted, which increased the number of shares under the Plan by 500,000 to 2.5 million. Further, the appointment of KPMG LLP, an independent accounting firm, to examine the Company’s financial statements for fiscal year 2001 was ratified.

The record date for shareholders to vote at the Annual Meeting was October 18, 2000. A formal meeting notice, agenda and proxy card were mailed along with United Natural Foods proxy statement and annual report on November 1, 2000.

The Company also announced that senior management is scheduled to meet with institutional fund managers in New York and Boston on December 12th and 13th. A copy of the Company’s slide presentation can be accessed via United Natural Foods website, located at www.unfi.com, beginning on December 11, 2000.

About United Natural Foods
United Natural Foods, Inc. distributes over 30,000 products to more than 7,000 customers in 50 states. The Company serves a wide variety of retail formats including conventional supermarket chains, natural product superstores and independent retail operators.

For more information on United Natural Foods, Inc., via fax at no charge, please dial 1-800-PRO-INFO and enter the Company’s ticker symbol, UNFI. Or, visit the Company’s web-site at www.unfi.com.

This press release contains forward-looking statements relating to the operations, financial condition and operating results of the Company and such statements involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Additional information concerning factors that could cause actual results to materially differ from those in the forward-looking statements is contained in the Company’s SEC filings, including its periodic reports filed under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (copies of which are available upon request from the Company’s investor relations department).