Sara Lee Announces Redemption of its 3.875% Notes due 2013

 
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Sara Lee Corp. ("Sara Lee") (NYSE: SLE) today announced that it will redeem all of its 3.875% Notes due 2013 (the "3.875% Notes"), of which an aggregate principal amount of $500,000,000 is outstanding. The formal notice of redemption is being sent today to holders of the 3.875% Notes by The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company, N.A., the trustee under the indenture governing the 3.875% Notes.

The 3.875% Notes will be redeemed on April 6, 2012 (the "Redemption Date") at a redemption price to be calculated on the third business day preceding the Redemption Date in accordance with the terms of the 3.875% Notes. Interest will cease to accrue on and after the Redemption Date.

Questions regarding redemption of the 3.875% Notes should be directed to The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company, N.A., at 101 Barclay Street, New York, New York 10286, attention: Bondholder Communications or at [phone].

Forward Looking Statements

This release contains forward-looking statements with respect to the redemption. Other documents and statements of Sara Lee contain certain forward-looking statements, including the anticipated costs and benefits of restructuring, transformation and actions associated with Sara Lee's Project Accelerate initiative, other matters related to Sara Lee's spin-off plans, access to credit markets and Sara Lee's credit ratings, the planned extinguishment of debt (including through the tender offer), the funding of pension plans, potential payments under guarantees and amounts due under future contractual obligations and commitments, projected capital expenditures, cash tax payments, pension settlement amounts and effective tax rates. In addition, from time to time, in oral statements and written reports, Sara Lee discusses its expectations regarding its future performance by making forward-looking statements preceded by terms such as "expects," "projects," "anticipates" or "believes." These forward-looking statements are based on currently available competitive, financial and economic data, as well as management's views and assumptions regarding future events. Such forward-looking statements are inherently uncertain, and investors must recognize that actual results may differ from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements. Consequently, Sara Lee wishes to caution readers not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements. Among the factors that could cause Sara Lee's actual results to differ from such forward-looking statements are those described in Sara Lee's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended July 2, 2011, as well as factors relating to:

 
 
    -- 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) the anticipated costs

and benefits of restructuring actions taken to prepare for the

spin-off; (iii) Sara Lee's ability to obtain customary approvals; (iv)

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; (v) 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; (vi) changes in market

conditions; (vii) future opportunities that Sara Lee's board of

directors may determine present greater potential value to

shareholders than the spin-off and special dividend; (viii) disruption

to Sara Lee's business operations as a result of the spin-off; (ix)

future operating or capital needs that require a more significant

outlay of cash than currently anticipated; and (x) 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.

In addition, Sara Lee's results may also be affected by general factors, such as economic conditions, political developments, interest and inflation rates, accounting standards, taxes and laws and regulations in markets where Sara Lee competes. Sara Lee undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

About Sara Lee Corporation

Sara Lee Corp. (NYSE: SLE) and its leading portfolio of food and beverage brands, including Ball Park, Douwe Egberts, Hillshire Farm, Jimmy Dean, Pickwick Teas, Sara Lee and Senseo, generate nearly $8 billion in annual net sales from continuing operations and employ approximately 20,000 people worldwide. In January 2011, Sara Lee Corp. announced that it will divide the company into two pure-play publicly-traded companies, one focused on the international coffee and tea market and the other on North American meats. For more information on the company, please visit www.saralee.com.

 
Sara Lee Corp. 
Media: Mike Cummins, +1.630.598.8123 
Analysts: Melissa Napier, +1.630.598.8739