For Immediate Release

Whole Foods Market Launches Innovative New Brand

SAN FRANCISCO, CA — March 3, 2003 — Whole Foods Market® (NASDAQ: WFMI), the world's largest retailer of natural and organic foods with 143 stores in North America, has launched an innovative new private label brand called Authentic Food Artisan. PhilippeBecker Design Inc. (PBD), a San Francisco based packaging and branding agency, designed the identity for the brand.

This new "endorsement" brand is going to be applied to a variety of products handpicked by Whole Foods Market connoisseurs. Under concept and design development for more than a year, seven organically grown pastas from Italy are the first Authentic Food Artisan products to reach North American stores.

"With Authentic Food Artisan, we seek to recognize small food producers from around the world who continue to handcraft products based on authentic recipes and methods handed down from generation to generation," explained Dennis Ring, vice president of private label development at Whole Foods Market and one of the campaigners for this innovative project. "The Authentic Food Artisan product line will introduce the very best organic products we can find, and we needed to create a unique brand identity to convey these qualities. PBD is the branding agency of choice to help us achieve that."

Whole Foods Market will identify Authentic Food Artisan products as company items by placing an old-fashioned seal on the front of each product. The copy on the seal says "Presented by Whole Foods Market" on the perimeter and "AFA--Authentic Food Artisan" in the center. "The authentic looking wax seal imbues the same qualities of craftsmanship as the artisan food products to which the seal will be applied," said PhilippeBecker, creative director of PBD. "Its rich detail and bright color stands out on any package. To make the seal look as authentic as possible, we used high quality dyes for embossing and a clear thick foil stamp to achieve a high gloss."

About PBD
PhilippeBecker Design is a San Francisco based packaging and branding agency leveraging the best of large firm experience in a smart, efficient team, yielding exceptional results for its clients. PhilippeBecker founded the company in 1998, following 11 years as senior designer for Primo Angeli Inc. His work has garnered numerous design prizes, including several Clio and Mobius awards. PBD team leads are all senior level with 10 or more years of large agency experience and particular expertise in the food and beverage industry. Their approach is client-focused and fueled by a desire to deliver effective, outstanding design with a minimum of bureaucracy. PBD's clients include Safeway, Whole Foods Market, Forbes, Stremicks Heritage Foods and the Napa Valley Wine Auction.

PR Contact:
Alexia Morici
Horn Group Inc. (for PBD)
415.905.4006
amorici@horngroup.com