SMITHFIELD, Va., Aug. 6 /EMWNews/ -- Smithfield Foods,

Inc. (NYSE: SFD) announced today that it issued a new corporate social

responsibility (CSR) report. The report is the seventh in a series of CSR

and Environmental Annual Reports that the company has published beginning

in 2001.



    The 96-page report discusses Smithfield Foods' performance in

environmental stewardship, animal welfare, food safety, community

engagement, and employee well-being -- the CSR areas the company believes

are most important to it and to its stakeholders. The content focuses

primarily on calendar year 2007 but includes fiscal year 2008 financial

information and discussion of some key developments that occurred in early

2008. Smithfield Foods' fiscal year runs from May through April. The report

is available on the internet at

http://www.smithfieldfoods.com/responsibility/reports.aspx.



    "In the face of difficult economic times, we remain committed to

demonstrating CSR leadership in our industry. While we are proud of what we

have already accomplished, we recognize that our work is far from over. The

bar for leadership continues to rise, and with it, the challenge of meeting

our pledge to produce good food, responsibly," said C. Larry Pope,

president and chief executive officer of Smithfield Foods. "Proactively

addressing CSR issues has positioned us to respond to rising societal

interest and will continue to advance our goal of becoming the most

trusted, respected, and ethical food industry leader," he continued.



    "We are pleased to share our corporate social responsibility progress

in this report, which highlights our commitments, improvements, and goals.

We believe we have taken significant steps over the past year and

demonstrated our commitment to acting responsibly on important issues,"

added Dennis H. Treacy, vice president, environmental and corporate

affairs.



    With sales of $11 billion, Smithfield Foods is the leading processor

and marketer of fresh pork and packaged meats in the United States, as well

as the largest producer of hogs. For more information, visit

http://www.smithfieldfoods.com