Industry Leader Takes Action on Climate Change

WASHINGTON, May 20 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Dean Foods Company (NYSE: DF)
has become a Founding Reporter of The Climate Registry by being among the
first to join the organization. The Climate Registry is a non-profit
organization established to measure and publicly report greenhouse gas
emissions (GHG) in a common, accurate and transparent manner consistent across
industry sectors and borders. Thirty-nine U.S. states, six Canadian
provinces, three Native American tribes, two Mexican states and the District
of Columbia are the founders of the organization.

“Dean Foods has demonstrated exemplary environmental leadership by
courageously stepping forward to support The Climate Registry in its
preliminary stages. We are deeply grateful for their integral support in
helping to address the challenge of climate change,” said Gina McCarthy, Chair
of The Climate Registry.

A leader in the dairy industry, Dean Foods has demonstrated environmental
stewardship on several fronts by voluntarily committing to measure,
independently verify, and publicly report their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions
on an annual basis using The Climate Registry General Reporting protocol. The
protocol is based on the internationally recognized GHG measurement standards
of the World Resources Institute and World Business Council on Sustainability.

“Dean Foods is honored to be a Founding Reporter of The Climate Registry,”
said Michelle Goolsby, Executive Vice President, Development, Sustainability
and Corporate Affairs for Dean Foods. “We operate more than 100 manufacturing
plants in 35 states and have an extensive, nationwide distribution system made
up of more than 13,000 trucks and trailers. This makes the monitoring and
reporting of our greenhouse gas emissions a significant undertaking. Together
with The Climate Registry, we look forward to improving our awareness and
increasing our efforts around sustainable business practices.”

Dean Foods Company is the largest processor and distributor of milk and
other dairy products in the United States. The Company sells milk and a full
range of other dairy products under more than 50 well-known local and regional
brands and a wide array of private labels. The Company’s WhiteWave Foods
division produces a variety of nationally-branded dairy and dairy-related
products, such as Horizon Organic(R) dairy products, Silk(R) soymilk, and
International Delight(R) coffee creamers. WhiteWave Foods’ Rachel’s Organic(R)
brand is the largest organic milk brand and second largest organic yogurt
brand in the United Kingdom. The Company recently released its first
Corporate Responsibility Update, which is available on its website at
http://www.deanfoods.com.

About The Climate Registry

Incorporated March 2007 in Washington, DC, The Climate Registry provides
accurate and transparent measurement of GHG emissions and ensures consistency
of measurement metrics across industry sectors and borders. The Climate
Registry’s accounting infrastructure supports both voluntary and regulatory
programs. For more information please visit,
http://www.theclimateregistry.org.

Contact:

Justin Bilow
(213) 891-1444 ext. 127

SOURCE The Climate Registry; Dean Foods Company