July 29, 2003 (Petoskey, MI): In the 9 months since its inception in October 2002, Fresh Baby (www.FreshBaby.com) has given birth to a new industry category: all-natural feeding accessories. The company's products include: homemade baby food kits, solid food cookbooks and workbooks, child development diaries and breast milk storage trays. Additional products currently in-development will be unveiled by year's end.

Spanning the all-natural and juvenile products sectors, the company offers a fresh approach to healthy eating. Fresh Baby's products provide practical knowledge for preventing obesity and easy to use products rich in nutrition and variety.

Inspired by 2 sisters with 5 children between them, the founders could not identify all-natural alternatives for healthy and hassle-free feeding. Drawing upon their own concerns as parents, they launched the company with their flagship product, The Fresh Start Kit. The homemade baby food kit equips parents with materials and step-by-step instructions for producing quick, healthy and delicious meals for their infants.

Market Trends: All-natural goes mainstream.
4.045 million babies are born each year in the U.S. alone, with 43% being born to first time parents; the largest purchasers of juvenile products. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) estimates that in the last decade, U.S. organic food retail sales increased by 23% annually - five times faster than food sales in general. Nearly 40% of shoppers are reaching for products labeled organic, and the segment's sales are expected to reach more than $11 billion this year.

Leveraging the trend of all-natural feeding alternatives and the gap for feeding accessories, Fresh Baby has secured distribution relationships with over 150 mass and specialty retailers in the U.S. and Canada. Stemming from its mission of giving every kid a fresh start in life on the path to healthy eating, they have also created a partnership program with the United States Department of Agriculture: Women Infant and Children (WIC), with the State of New Mexico as the first participant.

Further demonstrating that all-natural is appealing to middle America, On July 1, The Fresh Start Kit made its national television debut on QVC.

Product Development: Innovative products predicated on practical knowledge.
Introducing a new feeding concept can be tough for parents; Fresh Baby has made it much easier. While the company's competitive advantage is product innovation, their products' inherent simplicity is its key differentiation. Drawing on practical, experience-based knowledge the company's founders follow 3 criteria in developing products: they have to be fast, easy and fun.

Applying this winning formula to their monthly newsletter, Fresh Ideas, the company publishes tips on healthy eating, all-natural recipes and parenting resources. According to Cheryl Tallman, President and co-founder of Fresh Baby, "In the last 6 months, we have witnessed a 90% surge in our subscriber base and increased our exposure ten-fold through syndication. These numbers prove that parents want tips on healthy eating that's fun for families."

Obesity Epidemic: While others tout cures, Fresh Baby focuses on prevention.
Today there are nearly twice as many overweight children and almost three times as many overweight adolescents as there were in 1980. The culprits are unhealthy eating patterns and lack of physical activity. If eating habits are left unabated, according to the Surgeon General, by 2030, 50% of America's children will be overweight.

The epidemic is undeniable; but the cause is preventable. Unlike products and programs designed to cure obesity and change poor eating habits, Fresh Baby's products are Dr. recommended due to focusing on preventive measures: establishing healthy eating habits and encouraging parents to use alternatives to processed foods.

The issues associated with obesity are overwhelming to both parents and healthcare professionals. With hundreds of members, Fresh Baby's Healthcare Professional Partner Program provides parents with information on "healthy eating for babies." To date, thousands of sheets have been distributed. Fresh Baby's program is free-of-charge and open to all healthcare practices in the pediatric specialty.

Best Practices in Parenting: When you make it yourself, you know it's better.
The benefits of preparing all-natural food are substantial - nutritionally, economically and emotionally. Preparing baby food at home provides caregivers with enhanced control of their baby's diet and knowledge of exactly what goes into each meal. Through Fresh Baby's products, parents are encouraged to try various age-appropriate recipes and document their child's preferences and progress. And buying fresh saves money as homemade baby food averages $55 during the child's first year (as opposed to $300 - $500 with processed alternatives).

Fresh Baby's Director of Sales and co-founder Joan Ahlers remarked, "In a parent's eyes there is no price that can be placed on the assurance that they are doing everything in their power to ensure nutritional value and increased variety for their children. Fresh Baby makes doing the right thing easy. And that's priceless."

The company is not stopping at baby accessories; they are committed to creating products that support parents with children of all ages. Set to debut in 2004 is its line of all-natural feeding accessories for toddlers.

About Fresh Baby::
Developing products that grow with the nutritional needs of babies and kids, Fresh Baby is an innovator in all-natural feeding accessories. Offering a fresh approach to healthy eating, the company provides practical knowledge for preventing obesity and easy-to-use products ensuring diets rich in nutrition and variety. Fresh Baby's products include: homemade baby food kits, solid food cookbooks and workbooks, child development diaries and breast milk storage trays.

For healthy eating information and fresh ideas, please visit: www.FreshBaby.com.

Sources:

• United States Surgeon General: http://www.surgeongeneral.gov
• Prepared Foods' May 2003 Issue, Market Trends: http://www.preparedfoods.com/archives/2003/2003_5/0503organic.htm