AUSTIN, TX (December 10, 2008) — Whole Foods Market has again been named the nation’s number one retailer in seafood sustainability by Greenpeace. The newest Greenpeace report scoring retailers on the environmental responsibility of their seafood selections calls out Whole Foods Market’s new quality standards for aquaculture, (farmed seafood), which have made the Company a leader in the industry, as one of the factors in their higher score.

“We are proud to be recognized for our efforts as we go to great lengths to ensure these products meet our high standards for quality, safety, environmental responsibility and culinary excellence,” said Margaret Wittenberg, Whole Foods Market’s global vice president of quality standards and public affairs. “We have done more than any other retailer when it comes to sourcing and promoting environmentally responsible, quality seafood, and we will continue to evaluate all species of seafood we sell to ensure we are doing our part to care for our planet and its tenants.”

Whole Foods Market is now embarking on a process for further enhancing its quality standards for wild-caught species similar to its quality standards project for aquaculture, and will include creating sourcing guidelines for wild-capture fisheries not already certified by the Marine Stewardship Council.

The Greenpeace report closed by saying, “Whole Foods Market is making significant strides in improving its seafood sustainability, and Greenpeace expects Whole Foods wild-caught Quality Standards will be as thorough as its Aquaculture Standards.”