Korea, The Korea Herald — December 20, 2006 — Since entering the Korean market, Dole Korea Inc. has carved a niche for itself in the premium fruit market with delicious and top quality produce. Dole Food Co. Inc., the corporate parent of Dole Korea, is the world’s largest producer and packager of quality fresh fruit, fresh vegetables and fresh-cut flowers. Its history dates back to 1851 with the incorporation of Castle & Cooke, Inc. in Hawaii. Today, it employs over 57,000 individuals in more than 90 countries around the world. There are two main products in the “Sweetio” brand – Sweetio bananas and Sweetio pineapples. The Sweetio branded fruits require 1.5 times longer cultivation time compared to ordinary produce, and offer sweeter tasting fruit, hence the great customer response. At its R&D center, Dole’s research continues to produce 20 kinds of bananas with great taste and nutritional value. Emmanuel Javellana, the representative director of Dole Korea, says profits from the Sweetio line in Korea have grown continuously over the past four years. And with Korean consumers increasingly watching what they eat, Javellana sees an even sweeter future ahead. Dole Korea launched its “5 Colors Campaign” to promote the healthful eating of tropical fruits and vegetables in Korea. Initiated in the United States, one of Dole’s endeavors for better diet habits among people is a consumer education campaign called “5-a-Day.” This eye-catching campaign was launched in America to boost consumption of five different colors of fruits and vegetables per day, and Dole Korea has successfully developed an adapted version of the campaign and called it the “5 Colors Campaign.” The “5 Colors Campaign” is a nationwide nutrition program to educate Koreans about the importance of a balanced diet in the midst of today’s fast-food bonanza and unhealthful eating habits. The campaign suggests that the colors of the foods can be an indicator to evaluate nutritional values. Besides its active development of the “5 Colors Campaign,” consumer booklets published by Dole Korea also extends useful information regarding nutritional values, recipes and storage suggestions of fruits and vegetables according to five different colors. Starting in November 2004, Dole Korea has paid numerous visits to kindergartens and elementary schools in Seoul and its suburban areas with the “Kids Cooking Class” program. With no preparation or expenditure required, children at these locations learn the importance of a balanced diet, and have an opportunity to cook with fruits and vegetables during the class. Dole’s focus lies in providing the best quality products and the best service to its customers and consumers. Another focus of Dole is to continuously introduce fresh and new products to what is otherwise a dull commodity industry.