Sweet Darling Strawberries, Inc. Improves Harvest After Installing AirOcare’s Systems

Leading grower/shipper reduces loss by 20% using AirOcare’s air purification system

Rockville, Md. — January 4, 2006 — Sweet Darling Strawberries, Inc., a California-based leader in the international growing, packing, and shipping of strawberries, has experienced an improvement in the quality of their crop after having AirOcare’s patented air purification systems installed in their strawberry cooler. AirOcare’s equipment has applications for the agriculture, meat processing, grocery retail, and other related industries.

Sweet Darling grows, packs, ships, and sells up to 3.9 million cases of their strawberries annually, to retailers in countries around the world, including Japan, Europe, and all across North America. After hearing a positive recommendation from one of the largest grocery retailers in the United States, Sweet Darling decided to have the AirOcare Systems installed in their strawberry cooler. The initial results were impressive: a 20% reduction in strawberry losses due to decay.

“In our business, it's about reducing spoilage, bacteria, mold, and decay,” says John Larse, Vice President of Sweet Darling Strawberries, Inc. “The AirOcare system gives us a longer shelf life for our product, which leads to better sales opportunities for our customers. If we can get our product to the customer in better condition and it can last a few days longer in their store or refrigerator, they are even happier with our already superior product.”

Dr. Rick Falkenberg is the head of Scientific Air Solutions, a leading independent provider of air sampling and analysis. Dr. Falkenberg has many years of experience in the food industry, specifically in regulatory affairs and quality assurance. He conducted a study over the course of 34 days, measuring the air in the Sweet Darling coolers with the AirOcare units operating inside. The findings showed a 75% reduction in airborne contaminants.

“These results will have a significant positive impact on the shelf life of products that are processed in this environment,” says Dr. Falkenberg. “The shelf life should increase by approximately 5 to 8 days, conservatively.”

AirOcare’s patented technology uses oxygen ions to sanitize ambient air, killing the bacteria, fungi, viruses, molds, mildews, and other contaminants that spoil produce and cause unpleasant odors. AirOcare’s organic materials are harmless to human health as well as the environment. AirOcare units can be customized to fit any cold storage facility, from warehouses, rail cars, and tractor trailers, to supermarket displays. The company now has over 5,000 units deployed worldwide along the fresh food cold chain, as well as in meat and food processing plants, grocery stores, and commercial office buildings.

“We're thrilled that a grower and shipper as trusted, respected, and committed to quality as Sweet Darling is seeing positive results from our technology,” says Bob McDonald, President and CEO of AirOcare. “Contaminants like bacteria, viruses, molds,

and mildew constantly threaten the profitability of companies in the produce industry. Our technology is changing that, one company at a time, by protecting our customer's most valuable assets and ensuring the highest level of food and human safety.”

For more information on the AirOcare technology please contact Jason Policastro at (610) 642-8253. For more information on Sweet Darling Strawberries, Inc., please contact Bob Schreiber at (831) 684-2342.

About AirOcare

AirOcare manufactures and markets air purification and sanitation systems for the agricultural, food and meat processing, grocery stores, hospitality, and other industries. AirOcare’s patented air purification process uses small quantities of oxygen from the room air to sanitize the air, eliminate odors, and destroy bacteria, mold, mildew and other contaminants. The AirOcare process uses no chemicals and complies with organic standards. In the fresh food cold chain, AirOcare’s purification system is used from farm to fork, reducing product loss, lowering health risk, and improving the quality and shelf life for fresh fruits, vegetables, meat, and seafood. The AirOcare system can be utilized in all other industries to clean the air of the contaminants which cause odor, viruses, illness, and bacteria. AirOcare systems can be configured and deployed in any environment, from a 50 cubic ft. cold food case to a 1 million cubic ft. storage facility, as well as offices, medical buildings, refrigerated trucks and shipping containers. AirOcare’s systems are installed in more than 5,000 locations worldwide. For more information on AirOcare and their air purification system, please visit www.AirOcare.com.

About Sweet Darling Strawberries, Inc.

Sweet Darling Strawberries, Inc., is an international grower and shipper of high-quality strawberries operating out of Aptos, California. Since 1979, Sweet Darling has been committed to delivering the most consistent quality strawberry on the market. Their acreage distribution is 85% coastal, and 15% inland, and they also own and operate a 30,000 square foot cooling facility in Castroville, CA. As they continue to expand operations, they maintain a firm belief in maintaining control over the final product. The ability to preserve sole responsibility of all growing , packing, cooling, and sales has empowered Sweet Darling to maintain a philosophy to invest in the highest standard of cultural, packing, and cooling practices.