OCEAN SPRAY ANNOUNCES FINALISTS IN ULTIMATE CRANBERRY RECIPE CONTEST; COMPETITION HEATS UP FOR $25,000 GRAND PRIZES

Contestants Show Their Skills in Live Cook-Offs and Prove the Cranberry's Versatility Beyond Just a Holiday Staple

LAKEVILLE-MIDDLEBORO, Mass (September 10, 2008) –Ocean Spray announced the finalists who will compete for the titles of the 2008 Ultimate Cranberry Recipe. The winners from each category – foodservice professional and home cooks – will receive $25,000 grand prizes and a year supply of Ocean Spray products.

Displaying the true versatility of the fruit, finalist recipes in the consumer category include: Roasted Cranberry Quesadillas (Michael Cohen of Los Angeles, Calif.), Warm Chèvre Crostini with Cranberry Basil Tapenade (Mary Hawkes of Prescott, Ariz.), Cranberry-Turtle Dessert Pizza (Beverly Jones of Brunswick, Mo.) and Wild West Wedges with Cranberry Catsup (Margee Berry of Trout Lake, Wash.).

The foodservice finalist recipes include: Zesty Sweet Potato Gratin with Cranberry Crisp (Emil Topel of Chartwells – Compass USA in Phenix City, Ala.), Pork Tenderloin with Cranberry Mole and Cranberry Salsa (Justin Ward of Art Institute of Atlanta in Atlanta, Ga.), Cranberry-Thai Glazed, Flame-Roasted Pork Loin (Jeff Hosford of Hagan O’Reilly Pub in Winter Garden, Fla.), Cranberry-Basil Rum Booster (Eric Stombaugh of Lancaster Host Resort in Lancaster, Pa.).

Each finalist receives a trip for two to visit New York City and compete in a live cooking contest on October 6.

The winners will be announced on October 7 at a private cocktail party that coincides with the debut of Ocean Spray’s 2008 “Bogs Across America” Tour in New York City, where about 2,000 pounds of cranberries will be on display in a free-standing urban bog.

“Ocean Spray originally launched the Ultimate Cranberry Recipe Contest to celebrate the versatility of the cranberry year-round,” said Larry Martin, vice president of marketing at Ocean Spray. “This year, contestants found even more creative ways to use the cranberry in their dishes. The originality and impressive variety of the recipes submitted showcased the talents of our home cooks and professional chefs and bartenders across the country and the wide range of uses for the fruit's unique flavor.”

The contest attracted more than 2,000 new culinary creations in its professional and home cook divisions. The innovative cranberry concepts included everything from festive cocktails and decadent desserts to chutneys, salads, hearty stews and flavorful main dishes.

Johnson & Wales University and Tadware & Company, Inc., tested the recipes based on creativity, use of product, taste, overall appearance and ease of preparation to decide the top four finalists from each category. The finalist recipes are featured on www.oceanspray.com and www.oceansprayfoodservice.com.

Ocean Spray is an agricultural cooperative owned by more than 600 cranberry growers in Massachusetts, Wisconsin, New Jersey, Oregon, Washington, British Columbia, and other parts of Canada as well as more than 50 Florida grapefruit growers. Ocean Spray was formed over 75 years ago by three cranberry growers from Massachusetts and New Jersey. Florida grapefruit growers joined the Cooperative in 1976. Ocean Spray is North America’s leading producer of canned and bottled juices and juice drinks, and has been the best-selling brand name in the canned and bottled juice category since 1981. Ocean Spray posted fiscal 2007 earnings of roughly $1.7 billion.