Aurora Foods Launches Two Duncan Hines Products, Extending Brand Into New Brownie and Muffin Flavors

St. Louis, MO - August 20, 2001 - Aurora Foods Inc. (NYSE:AOR), a leading producer and marketer of premium branded food products, today announced that it has launched two new Duncan Hines' mix products, extending its popular brand with Butterfinger Brownies and Corn Muffins.

The Duncan Hines' Chocolate Lover's Brownies with Nestle Butterfinger Pieces is a first in its category as the only brownie mix with branded candy-bar pieces. Nestle's Butterfinger is one of the most popular candy bars sold. This unique new product builds on Aurora's relationship with Nestle, which started with the recently launched Fun Frosters.

The Homestyle Golden Corn Muffins is Aurora's first product in the corn muffin market, the largest baking-mix segment in which Duncan Hines does not compete. The over $100-million corn muffin segment represents 60% of all units sold in muffins and is 25% larger than the ready-to-spread frosting market and 60% larger than the brownies market. This raises the potential for Duncan Hines' new corn muffins to add significantly to Aurora's volumes and revenues.

Both products are now available in selected markets.

"These new products are a great example of how we broaden the usage of our well-known and popular brands with targeted innovation," said James T. Smith, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Aurora. "Both products will help us continue to build our strong Duncan Hines' franchise, which has grown 19% in unit volume for the first seven months of 2001 versus year-ago levels. We intend to continue to develop similar innovative products for all of our brands to keep them relevant with today's consumers."