Press Releases

SALINAS, CA – September 8, 2005 – Monterey Gourmet Foods (NASDAQ: PSTA) today announced that it has retained Los Angeles-based consulting firm, Muir, Crane & Co., to provide investor relations services and counsel, effective immediately.
Mr. Jim Williams, Chief Executive Officer of Monterey Gourmet Foods, stated, “We are not the same company we were just twelve months ago. With our recent acquisitions of Casual Gourmet Foods and Sonoma Cheese Company along with introductions of new product lines from our existing brands and an expansion into the frozen food category, we have created a much more diversified and stable platform from which we can launch future growth initiatives.”
Mr. Williams continued, “With a new multi-faceted strategic plan, we believe it is vital that we now re-introduce Monterey Gourmet Foods to the investment community and effectively communicate both our recent developments and our future opportunities. Muir, Crane & Co. has a proven track record of gaining greater recognition for micro-cap companies. A key consideration in our decision is that its founder, a 15 year investor relations veteran who has worked with more than 80 micro-cap companies, continues to take a personal, hands-on approach that emphasizes maximum face-to-face contact with new institutional and retail investors.”
Mr. John Muir, President of Muir, Crane & Co., commented on the appointment, “Monterey Gourmet Foods is poised to reap the benefits of a very focused response to the challenges they have faced during the past few years. What has emerged is a company that has moved from having a limited range of product offerings and distribution channels to what is now a strong competitor with a diverse portfolio of brands that produce more than 100 unique product offerings. Monterey Gourmet Foods is a compelling investment opportunity and we look forward to introducing them to a broader range of institutional investors. We are very pleased to add them to our list of quality clients.”
Founded in 1987, Monterey Gourmet Foods now produces more than 100 different fresh gourmet food products for the premium food consumer that are distributed in more than 9,700 retail and club stores throughout the United States, selected regions of Canada, the Caribbean, Latin America and Asia Pacific. Monterey Gourmet Foods’ USDA-inspected fresh refrigerated gourmet food products are produced at facilities in Salinas, (Monterey County) California; Eugene, Oregon; and Seattle, Washington. Monterey Gourmet Foods continues to introduce new product lines such as refrigerated entrees, grilled wraps and whole wheat pastas that are focused outside of its traditionally strong base of pasta and sauces. Recent acquisitions of Casual Gourmet Foods and Sonoma Cheese Company have allowed the Company to expand into the areas of award-winning sausages, premium refrigerated soups and gourmet cheeses with the effect of building a diversified and stable platform for growth that minimizes any dependence on one product category or distribution channel.For more information about Monterey Gourmet Foods, visit www.MontereyGourmetFoods.com.
This press release contains forward-looking statements concerning the effect of Monterey Gourmet Foods’ corporate acquisitions, product innovations, and future operations. Such forward-looking statements are inherently uncertain, and investors must recognize that actual results may differ from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements. Consequently, the Company wishes to caution readers not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statement.