100 Finalists Announced for the 44th Pillsbury Bake-Off® Contest

Finalists to compete for $1 million grand prize in April 2010
MINNEAPOLIS--(Business Wire)--
The Pillsbury Bake-Off® Contest announced the final 100 home cooks who will
compete for $1 million at the finals April 11-13, 2010, in Orlando, Fla. The
group`s creative original recipes beat out tens of thousands of recipe entries
to earn the chance to compete for the grand prize.

The finalists represent 36 different states, including Alaska and Hawaii, and
the District of Columbia. Four will be competing in their home state of Florida.
Pennsylvania has the highest number of finalists at 12, while Ohio comes in
second with eight. The 100 finalists range in age from 25 to 73 and include
eight men and 92 women. The list of 100 finalists is available at
www.bakeoff.com.

"This is quite a group of talented home cooks," said Jann Atkins, Pillsbury
Bake-Off® Kitchens Manager. "They entered their new recipes that are certainly
creative and delicious, but also very approachable and simple. It will be
exciting to see which one takes the top prize."

The final 100 recipes for the 44th contest will be available in January 2010 on
www.bakeoff.com. On April 12, the 100 home cooks will compete in four
categories-Breakfast & Brunches, Entertaining Appetizers, Dinner Made Easy and
Sweet Treats-side-by-side at 100 GE mini-kitchens at the Bake-Off® Contest
finals. Working in secrecy behind closed doors, a panel of food experts will
taste the recipes prepared by the finalists and select the contest winners.

Cash and Prizes

One of the four category winners will win the $1 million grand prize and a GE
Profile Induction Free-Standing Range, plus the winner chooses $7,000 in
additional GE Profile kitchen appliances. Combined retail value of Grand Prize
is approximately $1,010,300. The three remaining Recipe Category Winners will
each receive $5,000 and a GE Profile Induction Free-Standing Range. Combined
retail value of each Category Prize is approximately $8,300.

Three additional awards will be presented to winners chosen from any of the
recipe categories who have not already won another prize. The most innovative
recipe will receive the GE Imagination at Work Award and its winner receives a
GE Profile Induction Free-Standing Range, plus the winner chooses $1,700 in
additional GE Profile kitchen appliances. Retail value of the GE Imagination At
Work Award is approximately $5,000. The Jif® Peanut Butter Award recognizes the
finalist who has the best recipe using at least ¼ cup of Jif® Peanut Butter. The
winner will receive $5,000. The Crisco is Cooking Award recognizes the finalist
who has the best recipe using at least 1 tablespoon of Crisco® Cooking Oil. The
winner will receive $5,000.

Each of the 100 finalists wins a trip to the contest finals, including airfare,
a two-night stay at the Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek hotel in Florida, daily
event-sponsored meals, a GE countertop microwave oven (estimated retail value of
$249), and $125. Approximate retail value of each finalist package is $1,325.

Eligible Products

Finalists had to use two or more different eligible products in their recipes,
with at least one ingredient from the primary list of products and a second from
either the primary or secondary list.

The primary list featured returning eligible products to the contest, including
Pillsbury® Refrigerated Crescent Dinner Rolls, Classic Pizza Crust, Cookie Dough
and Ready to Bake! Cookies, Grands!® and Golden Layers® Biscuits, Cinnamon
Rolls, Breadsticks, Crusty French Loaf, and Pie Crusts; Pillsbury® Brownie Mixes
and Pillsbury BEST® Flour. Pillsbury Crescent Recipe Creations® refrigerated
seamless dough sheet, Pillsbury Place `n Bake® refrigerated crescent rounds and
Thin Pizza Crust were new products on the primary list.

The secondary list featured Green Giant® Frozen Vegetables, Jif® Peanut Butter,
Smucker`s® Jams, Jellies, Preserves, Fruit Spreads and Ice Cream Toppings,
Crisco® Cooking Oil, Eggland`s Best Eggs, LAND O LAKES® Butter and Fisher® Nuts.
Eagle Brand® Sweetened Condensed Milk and Hershey®`s cocoa, baking chips or bits
and baking chocolate were new eligible ingredients also on the secondary list.

The 44th Pillsbury Bake-Off ® Contest is sponsored by General Mills, General
Electric, The J.M. Smucker Company, Eggland`s Best, Land O`Lakes, Inc., Fisher®
Nuts and The Hershey Company.

Visit www.bakeoff.com for the official rules as well as past recipes and history
for the contest`s 60 years.

About the Sponsors

One of the world's leading food companies, General Mills operates in over 100
countries and markets more than 100 consumer brands, including Cheerios,
Häagen-Dazs, Nature Valley, Betty Crocker, Pillsbury, Green Giant, Old El Paso,
Progresso, Cascadian Farm, Muir Glen and more. Headquartered in Minneapolis,
Minnesota, U.S.A., General Mills had fiscal 2009 global net sales of US$15.9
billion, including the company`s $1.2 billion proportionate share of joint
venture net sales. For more than 130 years, families have trusted Pillsbury to
make mealtimes special times. Favorite Pillsbury products include refrigerated
cookies, crescent dinner rolls, breads, biscuits, pie crusts and sweet rolls as
well as frozen biscuits, sweet rolls, pie crusts, pastry bites and breakfast
items. For product information and great-tasting recipes, visit
www.pillsbury.com. Log on to www.generalmills.com for company information.

GE Consumer & Industrial spans the globe as an industry leader in major
appliances, lighting and integrated industrial equipment, systems and services.
Providing solutions for commercial, industrial and residential use in more than
100 countries, GE Consumer & Industrial uses innovative technologies and
ecomaginationSM, a GE initiative to aggressively bring to market new
technologies that help customers and consumers meet pressing environmental
challenges, to deliver comfort, convenience and electrical protection and
control. General Electric (NYSE: GE), imagination at work, sells products under
the Monogram, Profile, GE, Hotpoint, Reveal and Energy Smart consumer brands,
and Entellisys, Tetra, Vio and Immersion commercial brands. For more
information, consumers may visit www.ge.com.

For more than 100 years, The J.M. Smucker Company has been committed to offering
consumers quality products that help families create memorable mealtime moments.
Today, Smucker is the leading marketer and manufacturer of fruit spreads, retail
packaged coffee, peanut butter, shortening and oils, ice cream toppings,
sweetened condensed milk, and health and natural foods beverages in North
America. The Company`s wide variety of icon brands and products include such
trusted favorites as Smucker`s jams, jellies, preserves, fruit spreads and ice
cream toppings; Jif peanut butter; Crisco oils, shortening and sprays; Eagle
Brand sweetened condensed milk; and Pillsbury baking mixes, ready-to-spread
frosting and flour. For more information and delicious recipes, please visit
www.smuckers.com, www.jif.com, www.crisco.com, www.eaglebrand.com and
www.pillsburybaking.com.

Eggland's Best is the No. 1 branded egg in the U.S. They are the recipients of
many awards including the Gold Medal for superior taste, appearance and
freshness from The American Masters of Taste; The Best Tasting Egg in America
from the American Culinary Chefs Best for six consecutive years (2002-2008); the
Good Housekeeping Seal from the publication`s Good Housekeeping Research
Institute; the Men`s Health Top Pick as the Best Eggs in their Nutrition Awards
for four consecutive years; the Best Eggs according to the Women`s Health 2007
Best Foods list; The Crystal Egg Award from the International Egg Commission;
and the National Health & Wellness Club Stamp of Approval for flavor, quality
and nutrition. Eggland`s Best is the official egg of the 44th Pillsbury
Bake-Off® Contest. The distinctive "EB" stamp on the shell assures consumers
that the eggs meet the highest standards of taste, nutrition and quality.
Eggland`s Best hens are fed a strictly controlled, high-quality, all-natural,
all-vegetarian diet without added hormones, antibiotics or steroids of any kind.
EB eggs are available in large, cage-free and organic varieties, and are
certified as Kosher. For more information, visit www.eggland.com.

Land O`Lakes, Inc., a Minnesota-based food and agriculture company, is a leading
supplier of quality dairy products. In 1921, Land O`Lakes began making butter
from sweet-not sour-cream. Ever since that breakthrough, the company has been a
leading producer of butter and other pure, wholesome dairy products that deliver
simple goodness to consumers. Today, the tradition of innovation continues with
a complete line up of butter and spreads products. Visit www.landolakes.com
anytime for great recipes and meal ideas.

Since 1920, Fisher Nuts has prided itself in providing only the freshest and
highest quality nuts. Today, Fisher Nuts continues its tradition of excellence
as a John B. Sanfilippo & Son, Inc. (JBSS) brand. A favorite with at-home chefs
looking for an easy and nutritious way to add flavor and pizzazz to any dish,
Fisher Chef`s Naturals Baking Nuts provide delicious baking and cooking
ingredients, making everyday meals extraordinary. Fisher Snack Nuts offer
crunchy freshness and dry roasted flavor for a healthier, delicious snack any
time of the day. Fisher`s fresh and delicious products can be found in stores
and supermarkets under the Fisher, Fisher Chef`s Naturals and Sunshine Country
brand names. For more information on Fisher Nuts, please visit
www.fishernuts.com.

The HERSHEY Company, the largest North American manufacturer of quality
chocolate products, also provides a wide variety of baking products for
consumers and foodservice operators. The HERSHEY Company is proud to offer
quality baking cocoa, baking chocolate and baking chips and pieces under the
Hershey`s, Reese`s, Heath, Heath Bits`o Brickle, Mini Kisses and Special Dark
brands. With such a variety of forms and flavors, making dessert a memorable
occasion has never been easier or more certain! For more information, consumers
may visit www.hersheyskitchens.com.

Pillsbury Bake-Off® Public Relations
Shera Balgobin, 763-293-1212
or
Peg Ilkka, 763-764-7993

Copyright Business Wire 2009