Completion of Divestiture

    Sara Lee Corporation

          Sara Lee Corporation Sells Italian Hosiery Business

Sara Lee Corporation today announced the divestiture of its Italian hosiery
business, Filodoro Calze S.p.A., to Gilfin S.p.A., the parent company of Golden
Lady S.p.A., which is headquartered in Castiglione Stiviere, Italy. The sale
also includes Filodoro's Spanish and Portuguese hosiery operations.

The divestiture was completed today and will have no material impact on Sara
Lee's second quarter results. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Filodoro, which generated approximately US$83 million in annual sales in fiscal
2003, is headquartered in Casalmoro, Italy. Filodoro markets sheer hosiery
products under the Filodoro, Filodoro Club, Filodoro Classic, Philippe Matignon
and Filoverde brands and its products are primarily sold in Italy, Spain and
France. During the last several years, the sheer hosiery category in Europe has
suffered from volume declines, driven largely by casual dress trends.

"We are pleased to have completed this transaction, which will allow us to focus
our resources on areas that have the greatest potential for long-term growth,"
said C. Steven McMillan, chairman, president and chief executive officer of Sara
Lee Corporation.

Sara Lee Corporation (www.saralee.com) is one of the world's leading branded
consumer packaged goods companies, selling its products in nearly 200 countries.
The company has three global businesses - Food and Beverage, Intimates and
Underwear, and Household Products - through which it manufactures and markets
products of exceptional quality and value under leading, well-known brand names
such as Sara Lee, Earth Grains, Jimmy Dean, Douwe Egberts, Chock full o' Nuts,
Hanes, Playtex, Bali, DIM, Kiwi, Ambi Pur and Sanex.

Media: Julie Ketay, Sara Lee Corporation, +1.312.558.8727
Media: Marie José Weber, Sara Lee Apparel Europe, +33.14.149.5004
Analysts: Aaron Hoffman, +1.312.558.8739