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90 Whole Foods Market® Cheesemongers Earn Certified Cheese Professional(TM) Title

September 4, 2014

Ninety Whole Foods Market’s (NASDAQ:WFM) cheesemongers sliced their way through the rigorous third-annual American Cheese Society Certified Cheese Professional™ (CCP) Exam and passed.

Of the 153 cheese professionals who passed the exam, 90 were from Whole Foods Market. This certification is the highest standard for cheese professionals, and Whole Foods Market now has 237 CCPs representing 58 percent of all professionals who claim the title.

“Whole Foods Market has provided incredible guidance and support through the CCP program. Cathy Strange, the global cheese buyer, led us through six months of intensive study, and arranged trainings with esteemed industry professionals that really rounded out the learning experience,” said Rebecca Roppolo, specialty team leader for Whole Foods Market Vineyard in San Antonio, Texas. “Attending the American Cheese Society Conference was a fantastic chance to meet the key players in the cheese industry. I’m so happy to work for Whole Foods Market because opportunities like this encourage me to strive for excellence and put the company’s core values into action.”

The exam tests cheese knowledge, passion and skills of each cheese professional that passes the exam. Cheesemongers are tested on storage and handling, nutrition, distribution, raw materials, the ripening process, the making process, and categories and types of cheeses.

“The dedication and commitment our cheesemongers demonstrate has made Whole Foods Market a leader in providing shoppers not only with high-quality cheeses, but with top notch customer service,” said Strange. “I couldn’t be prouder of this new class of Certified Cheese Professionals for passing the exam and sharing their expertise and passion for cheese with Whole Foods Market and our customers.”

The new class of Whole Foods Market CCPs represents two countries, 25 states and 78 stores. Visit any store location on Tuesday, September 16 for the quarterly Cheese Nights event to meet cheesemongers and CCPs and sample cheeses great on the grill.

The third CCP exam was held on July 29, 2014 in Sacramento, California as part of the American Cheese Society conference. The exam is three hours long and cheesemongers must answer 150 multiple choice questions. The cheesemongers are required to renew their certification every three years by demonstrating continued professional knowledge and development in the cheese industry.

For a complete list of Certified Cheese Professionals, visit cheesesociety.org/events-education/acs-certified-cheese-professionals/. To learn more about cheese at Whole Foods Market, visit wholefoodsmarket.com.