000521 First Burger Using Titan Irradiation Debuts

Minneapolis - The Titan Corporation's wholly owned subsidiary, the SureBeam Corporation, and Minnesota-based Huisken Meats announced the introduction of Huisken Beef Patties, the first food product in the U.S. to be electronically pasteurized with Titan's patented SureBeam technology. The hamburger patties will be available at leading supermarkets in the Minneapolis area on May 16.

The announcement comes on the heels of President Clinton's mandate last week for regular Listeria testing of hot dogs, luncheon meats and other prepared meats. The Titan SureBeam and Huisken launch marks the beginning of a national rollout and the first opportunity for consumers to select higher quality, safer beef products. By looking for the SureBeam seal of added safety on Huisken beef patties and other fine foods, consumers will know that the products they choose have been electronically pasteurized to remove the threat of dangerous food- borne bacteria. It is anticipated that retailers across the country will follow Minnesota's leadership in providing electronically pasteurized foods to meet consumers' ever-increasing demand for higher quality, safer foods.

Titan's SureBeam pasteurization system kills harmful bacteria instantly, enhancing a food's quality and extending its shelf life without changing its taste or texture. “Similar to a microwave oven, the SureBeam system uses ordinary electricity as its energy source to pasteurize food after it has been processed and packaged,” says Larry A. Oberkfell, SureBeam's President and CEO. “Other, older technologies use radioactive materials as their energy source.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control, food-borne diseases strike 76 million Americans annually, leading to more than 5,000 deaths -- predominantly among children and the elderly. The revolutionary SureBeam technology is designed to decrease the incidence of these illnesses.

“Today's introduction of the first electronically pasteurized meat products marks the beginning of a new era in providing consumers with the highest quality, safest and most wholesome foods available,” said Gene W. Ray, Chairman, President and CEO of The Titan Corporation. “Thanks to the SureBeam technology, parents now will have an extra measure of confidence and safety when feeding their children one of their favorite foods.”

Huisken Beef Patties are the first premium beef patties in the U.S. to be electronically pasteurized using the SureBeam technology to eliminate the threat of harmful food-borne pathogens such as E. Coli, Listeria, Campylobacter and Salmonella. In December 1999, the USDA set forth guidelines for the electronic pasteurization of meats; the FDA had already approved the process in 1997.

“We are at an important point in the history of public health -- a moment on par with the introduction of milk pasteurization earlier in this century,” said Jan Malcolm, Commissioner Minnesota Department of Health. “That's the kind of impact we believe this technology can have, when used as part of a comprehensive food safety strategy.”

In addition to Huisken Meats, SureBeam has entered into multiyear agreements with many of the nation's major food producers to use its patented technology, including Tyson Foods, Cargill, Emmpak, IBP, and Hawaii Pride. Mostly exclusive in nature, these agreements represent more than 75% of the nation's nine billion pounds of ground beef production and approximately 50% of the country's nearly 35 billion pounds a year poultry market. In addition to these agreements, Titan has an agreement with Kraft Foods, Inc., to work closely on researching the use of SureBeam technology for electronic pasteurization on pre-cooked processed foods.

In addition to the FDA and the USDA, many prominent organizations have reviewed and support the use of electronic pasteurization technology including the American Medical Association, the World Health Organization, the American Dietetic Association, the U.S. Public Health Service, the Institute of Food Technologists, the Minnesota Department of Health and the Mayo Clinic.

Headquartered in San Diego, California, The Titan Corporation is a leading- edge technology company that creates, builds and launches technology-based businesses, offering innovative technical solutions. Titan markets the leading technology for the electronic pasteurization of food products. The company's three other core businesses develop and deploy communications and information technology solutions and services. The Company has 5,400 employees, annualized sales of approximately $750 million and total backlog in excess of $1.6 billion.

For over 60 years, Huisken Meats has provided a variety of delicious meat products for consumers across the United States. The company manufactures and markets a broad line of high quality meat snacks under the Trail's Best and Happy Trails brands and frozen beef patties under the Huisken and RG's brands. Huisken Meats also private labels for many of the nation's largest food distributors and grocery chains. The third-generation family-owned business employs over 400 people at manufacturing facilities and offices in Chandler, MN and Sioux Falls, SD.

RETURN TO HOME PAGE

E-mail: sflanagan@sprintmail.com