Sara Lee Corporation

3500 Lacey Road

Downers Grove, IL 60515

Media: Mike Cummins, +1.630.598.8412

Analysts: Melissa Napier, +1.630.598.8739

Sara Lee’s proposed spin-off plans and the related special dividend, such as (i) unanticipated developments that delay or negatively impact the proposed spin-off and capital plans; (ii) Sara Lee’s ability to obtain customary approvals; (iii) Sara Lee’s ability to generate the anticipated efficiencies and savings from the spin-off including a lower effective tax rate for the spun-off company; (iv) the impact of the spin-off on Sara Lee’s relationships with its employees, major customers and vendors and on Sara Lee’s credit ratings and cost of funds; (v) changes in market conditions; (vi) future opportunities that the board of directors of Sara Lee may determine present greater potential value to shareholders than the spin-off and special dividend; (vii) disruption to Sara Lee’s business operations as a result of the spin-off; (viii) future operating or capital needs that require a more significant outlay of cash than currently anticipated; and (ix) the ability of the businesses to operate independently following the completion of the spin-off;

Sara Lee’s relationship with its customers, such as (i) a significant change in Sara Lee’s business with any of its major customers, such as Walmart, its largest customer; and (ii) credit and other business risks associated with customers operating in a highly competitive retail environment;

the consumer marketplace, such as (i) intense competition, including advertising, promotional and price competition; (ii) changes in consumer behavior due to economic conditions, such as a shift in consumer demand toward private label; (iii) fluctuations in raw material costs, Sara Lee’s ability to increase or maintain product prices in response to cost fluctuations and the impact on Sara Lee’s profitability; (iv) the impact of various food safety issues and regulations on sales and profitability of Sara Lee products; and (v) inherent risks in the marketplace associated with product innovations, including uncertainties about trade and consumer acceptance;

Sara Lee’s international operations, such as (i) impacts on reported earnings from fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates, particularly the euro; (ii) Sara Lee’s generation of a high percentage of its revenues from businesses outside the United States and costs to remit these foreign earnings into the U.S. to fund Sara Lee’s domestic operations, dividends, debt service and corporate costs; (iii) difficulties and costs associated with complying with U.S. laws and regulations,

such as Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, applicable to global corporations, and different regulatory structures and unexpected changes in regulatory environments overseas; and (iv) Sara Lee’s ability to continue to source production and conduct operations in various countries due to changing business conditions, political environments, import quotas and the financial condition of suppliers; and

previous business decisions, such as (i) Sara Lee’s ability to generate margin improvement through cost reduction and efficiency initiatives; (ii) Sara Lee’s credit ratings, the impact of Sara Lee’s capital plans on such credit ratings and the impact these ratings and changes in these ratings may have on Sara Lee’s cost to borrow funds and access to capital/debt markets; (iii) the settlement of a number of ongoing reviews of Sara Lee’s income tax filing positions in various jurisdictions and inherent uncertainties related to the interpretation of tax regulations in the jurisdictions in which Sara Lee transacts business; and (iv) changes in the expense for and contingent liabilities relating to multi-employer pension plans in which Sara Lee participates.