General Mills Puts Readily-Available, Gluten-Free Breakfast Option Within Reach

Big G Rice Chex(R) cereal Reformulates, Expanding Gluten-Free Food
Choices for Persons with Serious Digestive Disorder and Partners with
Celiac Disease Foundation
MINNEAPOLIS--(Business Wire)--
Millions of Americans who start the day with a gluten-free
breakfast have a new option from a familiar ready-to-eat favorite:
Rice Chex cereal.

Without changing the crunchy, oven-toasted flavor of Rice Chex,
General Mills replaced barley malt syrup with molasses resulting in a
gluten-free cereal. The company has taken the requisite steps to
prevent cross contamination during production and tested the new
formula based on proposed FDA standards. Rice Chex cereal calls out
its gluten-free status on new packaging that will be available soon on
store shelves nationwide. One serving of Rice Chex still clocks in at
100 calories, contains two grams of sugar, 0.5 grams of fat and
delivers a good source of whole grain with at least 8 grams per
serving. Suggested retail price is $2.99. Rice Chex cereal also offers
consumers convenient recipes that can be made without
gluten-containing ingredients on www.Chex.com.

"This is a revolutionary step forward for consumers who want easy
and affordable access to gluten-free food options," said Rohan Thakur,
Chex cereal marketing manager. "General Mills and Chex recognize the
growing consumer demand for gluten-free products and we're pleased to
make Rice Chex, a classic American breakfast offering, available to
more people. We are also proud to partner with Celiac Disease
Foundation (CDF) to further generate awareness for celiac disease. CDF
is a true leader and real-time resource for thousands of individuals
in the gluten-free community, and we hope our support will only raise
the level of awareness nationwide."

Celiac disease, a chronic inherited digestive disorder, can cause
damage to the small intestine. It is estimated that one in 133
Americans suffer from celiac disease - 3 million adults and children
are living undiagnosed with this autoimmune disorder that is managed
by following a gluten-free diet.

"Individuals following the gluten-free lifestyle are looking for
great tasting, mainstream products that meet their special dietary
needs," explained Elaine Monarch, Founder/Executive Director, Celiac
Disease Foundation. "The gluten-free category is growing significantly
and together CDF and General Mills can generate more awareness of
celiac disease and help to improve the quality of life for these
individuals."

Gluten, the common name for the natural proteins found in wheat,
barley and rye, is harmful to persons with celiac disease because when
they eat gluten, their immune system is triggered and it begins to
attack the small intestine. This results in damage to the villi which
make up the lining of the small intestine. Villi are necessary for the
absorption of nutrients, and over time the damage to the villi can
lead to malnutrition.

Celiac disease is the most common genetic disease worldwide,
possibly affecting as much as 1% of the population. Celiac disease
is not just a digestive disease, explained Monarch, but is a
multi-system, multi-symptom autoimmune disorder that affects adults as
well as children. Currently, there is no cure for celiac disease, only
the lifelong adherence to a gluten-free diet.

Rice Chex is a title sponsor of the upcoming CDF Annual Education
Conference and Food Faire, Saturday, May 3, 2008 in Los Angeles, CA.
The event draws people of all ages who are interested in learning more
about how to manage celiac disease and the gluten-free lifestyle.
Registration information is available at www.celiac.org.

About CDF

Celiac Disease Foundation (CDF) is a non-profit public benefit
corporation that represents the needs and concerns of the celiac
community. CDF has built a community of patients, families, allied
healthcare professionals and the food industry who work together to
improve the quality of life for people with Celiac Disease.

About General Mills, Inc.

General Mills, with annual net sales of $13.4 billion, is a
leading global manufacturer and marketer of consumer foods products.
Based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, General Mills' mission is to innovate
to make people's lives healthier, easier, and richer around the world.
Its global brand portfolio includes Cheerios, Chex and other Big G
cereals, Betty Crocker, Pillsbury, Green Giant, Nature Valley, Yoplait
and more. It also has more than 100 U.S. consumer brands, more than 30
of which generate annual retail sales in excess of $100 million.
General Mills also is a leading supplier of baking and other food
products to the foodservice and commercial baking industries.

General Mills
Kim Harbinson, 763-764-4830
Kim.Harbinson@genmills.com
or
Celiac Disease Foundation
Deborah Ceizler, 818-990-2354
Deborah@celiac.org

Copyright Business Wire 2008