January 20, 2006 Beacon, NY – Master Chefs’ Institute, an international team of Master Chefs and culinary leaders today announced that Brandt Beef – The True Natural, a premium quality line of natural beef for the foodservice industry produced by Brandt Beef LLC of Brawley, California has qualified for its Seal of Excellence.

“In the vast majority of tests Brandt Beef outperformed the competitive samples”, Master Chefs, LLC Managing Partner Ferdinand Metz said. “Their line rated highest in the flavor, texture and tenderness categories which are crucial for chefs and end consumers alike.”

The Master Chefs’ Institute team put Brandt Beef through more than one hundred twenty experiments and also compared it to a control group of three competitors in the same category. The blind testing process, performed by a panel of Certified Master Chefs, focused on the functional, qualitative and organoleptic product properties of the beef line. The resulting recommendations are summarized in an extensive report which will be shared with Brandt Beef, LLC.

The Master Chefs’ Institute Seal of Excellence was designed to evaluate and test food, equipment and beverage products and to recognize those which have achieved the Master Chefs’ Institute standard of quality. If a product or a line of products meets the Master Chefs, LLC standard, the Seal of Excellence can be displayed in product advertising.

The Master Chefs’ Institute team has won many international awards. They have almost 200 years combined food service experience and the highest level of culinary credentials. There are fewer than 65 Master Chefs in the United States.

More information about the Master Chefs’ Institute and the Seal of Excellence can be found at their website www.masterchefs-llc.com. More information about Brandt Beef – The True Natural can be found at www.brandtbeef.com.