9.15.2003 ET

(CSRwire) CINCINNATI, OH ? Millstone Coffee is launching a new line of Signature coffees offering products of exceptional quality that also support grower quality of life. These new products meet the Millstone consumers? desires for excellent taste while providing a fair price to coffee growing communities. The current coffee market forces coffee growing families to sell coffee at prices that are not high enough to meet their most basic needs, such as food, education, and healthcare. The three new products in the Millstone Signature Collection include:

Millstone Rainforest Alliance Certified Signature Roast ? A medium-dark roast from the slopes near Lake Atitlán, Guatemala. The Rainforest Alliance certification project is a leading certifier of sustainable coffee and evaluator of farms according to its rigorous environmental and social standards. Every bag of Rainforest Alliance Certified Roast comes from farms that are vital refuges for wildlife and peaceful places to work. The flavor has a ripe fruity overtone, with a hint of green apple, and clean, natural notes.

?We?re proud to be partnering with leading organizations like TransFair USA, Rainforest Alliance, and Association of Coffee Excellence, who set the standards for sustainability ? economic, social, and environmental,? said Mike Griffith, president, Global Beverages, Millstone Coffee. ?Millstone?s Signature Collection offers Millstone?s sophisticated consumers a way to enjoy exceptional coffee while supporting conservation and the many families who grow coffee.?

The Signature Collection, like all Millstone Coffees, is selected only from the top 15 percent of premium Arabica beans. These roasts will be offered only through online and phone order sales.

Our partners include:

Fair Trade Certified

TransFair USA is the only independent organization certifying Fair Trade products in the United States. Fair Trade assures quality from crop to cup with strict criteria for social and environmental standards backed by an internationally recognized monitoring system. The Fair Trade Certified price ensures that family farmers receive a fair price ? significantly higher than average ? for their exceptional coffees, enabling millions of farming families worldwide to stay on their land, protect their communities, and keep children in school.

?Fair Trade Certified coffees are a guarantee of quality ? a great cup of coffee for consumers, a better life for farmers and the opportunity for businesses with a vision to make a difference,? said Paul Rice, president and CEO of TransFair USA. ?Thousands of farming families worldwide will benefit from Millstone?s decision to offer Fair Trade Certified coffee.?

Cup of Excellence

The Cup of Excellence award recognizes the pinnacle of flavor and quality in specialty coffees grown in Brazil, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Nicaragua and provides enormous economic benefits to participating coffee regions. To participate, coffee growers submit samples to a national, then international, invitation-only jury that evaluates every detail from aroma, flavor, and acidity, to body and balance. The winning coffees are sold at auction to the highest bidder at very high prices, which reward these quality farmers for their hard work and dedication. Very few coffees ever receive the ?best of the best? Cup of Excellence honor.
The Cup of Excellence provides enormous economic benefits to participating coffee regions. Taking this commitment one step further in Jinotega, Nicaragua, Millstone and TechnoServe, a nonprofit organization, have pledged to help build a school and equip students with textbooks and other supplies. In addition to education, Millstone has partnered with Project HOPE to help build and sustain health clinics in Jinotega.

?The Cup of Excellence program is the critical bridge between a coffee farmer who produces great coffee and the buyer looking to find that rare and exclusive coffee for his customers,? said Susie Spindler, co-creator and executive director, Alliance for Coffee Excellence Inc., the nonprofit organization which owns the Cup of Excellence program. ?The international demand for these exemplary coffees by those who truly appreciate quality creates a new vision of economic sustainability for coffee farmers everywhere."

Rainforest Alliance

Rainforest Alliance is an organization dedicated to helping farmers produce high quality beans in harmony with wildlife, promoting healthy ecosystems, protecting forests and rivers, and ensuring soil and water quality. In addition to visiting coffee farms annually to inspect environmental guidelines, the Rainforest Alliance also requires the following for all workers: fair wage or above, adequate housing, and access to education, medical care, public transportation, and recreational facilities.

"We are thrilled that Millstone, a household name, is offering a coffee product that is 100 percent Rainforest Alliance-certified,? said Tensie Whelan, executive director, Rainforest Alliance. ?Thanks to Millstone, now more than ever, consumers across the United States will be able to enjoy a great cup of coffee that helps protect people, wildlife, and community."

About Millstone

Millstone Coffee is a gourmet coffee brand sold in grocery stores throughout the country. Millstone Coffee provides a wide variety of gourmet blends, roasts, and flavors and is available in ground and whole bean. In addition, Millstone Coffee values socially responsible coffee growers and is committed to supporting coffee sustainability practices.

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For more information please contact:

Kelly O?Malley , Millstone Coffee
+1-(314) 982-8635

Tonia Hyatt , Millstone Coffee
+1-(513) 983-0479

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