FRANKLIN PARK, Ill., Aug. 7 /PRNewswire/ — Dean Foods Company (NYSE: DF)
today announced that it will hold a special shareholder meeting on September
14, 2001 in Chicago to vote on the pending merger with Suiza Foods Corporation
(NYSE: SZA).

“We continue to make good progress toward completion of the merger
transaction with Suiza Foods,” said Howard Dean, Chairman and Chief Executive
Officer. “We believe the proposed merger will benefit our shareholders, our
employees, our customers and consumers, and the industry at large.”

The company intends to finalize and mail the proxy statement related to
the merger to its shareholders by mid August.

Certain Legal Information
Dean Foods and Suiza Foods have filed with the SEC a preliminary joint
proxy statement/prospectus and other relevant documents concerning the
proposed merger. In addition, Dean Foods and Suiza Foods will prepare and
file a definitive joint proxy statement/prospectus and other relevant
documents concerning the proposed merger. Investors are urged to read the
definitive joint proxy statement/prospectus, when it becomes available, and
any amendments or supplements to the definitive joint proxy
statement/prospectus and other documents filed with the SEC, because they will
contain important information concerning the proposed merger. Investors will
be able to obtain the definitive joint proxy statement/prospectus and other
documents filed with the SEC free of charge at the SEC’s website
( http://www.sec.gov ). In addition, the definitive joint proxy
statement/prospectus and other documents filed by Dean Foods and Suiza Foods
with the SEC may be obtained free of charge by contacting Dean Foods, 3600
North River Road, Franklin Park, Illinois 60131, Attention: Investor
Relations (Tel: 847-678-1680) or Suiza Foods, 2515 McKinney Avenue, Suite
1200, Dallas, Texas 75201, Attention: Investor Relations
(Tel: 214-303-3400).

Dean Foods, Suiza Foods and their respective directors and executive
officers may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies from
the stockholders of Dean Foods and Suiza Foods in favor of the transaction.
The directors and executive officers of Dean Foods and their beneficial
ownership of Dean common stock as of August 2000 are set forth in the proxy
statement for the 2000 annual meeting of Dean Foods. The directors and
executive officers of Suiza and their beneficial ownership of Suiza common
stock as of March 2001 are set forth in the proxy statement for the 2001
annual meeting of Suiza Foods. You may obtain the proxy statements of Dean
Foods and Suiza Foods free of charge at the SEC’s website
(http://www.sec.gov). Stockholders of Dean Foods and Suiza Foods may obtain
additional information regarding the interests of such participants by reading
the definitive joint proxy statement/prospectus when it becomes available.

Safe Harbor Statement
The statements in this press release concerning when the merger will be
completed, and when certain intermediate steps may be taken in connection with
completion of the merger are “forward looking” statements and are made
pursuant to the safe harbor provision of the Securities Litigation Reform Act
of 1995. These statements involve certain risks and uncertainties that may
cause actual results to differ materially from expectations as of the date of
this press release. The exact timing of the closing of the transaction, and of
the intermediate steps that the companies will take in connection with
completion of the merger, will depend on how quickly the companies obtain the
necessary approvals for the transaction. Other risks relating to the merger
are outlined in the preliminary joint proxy statement/prospectus filed by the
companies effective July 12, 2001. All forward-looking statements in this
press release speak only as of the date hereof. Dean Foods expressly
disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or
revisions to any such statement to reflect any change in their expectations or
any changes in the events, condition or circumstances on which any such
statement is based.

SOURCE Dean Foods Company

Web site: http://www.deanfoods.com

Company News On-Call: http://www.prnewswire.com/comp/109161.html

CONTACT: Barbara Klein, V.P., Finance and Chief Financial Officeror Bill Luegers, V.P. and Treasurer of Dean Foods Company,+1-847-678-1680