HORIZON ORGANIC PRODUCTS OFFERED IN STARBUCKS STORES

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 1, 2001

HORIZON ORGANIC PRODUCTS OFFERED IN STARBUCKS STORES

Company On Track for Third Quarter 2001

BOULDER, Colorado (October 1, 2001) - Horizon Organic (Nasdaq: HCOW),

the nation's leading organic brand, today announced that Horizon Organic yogurt is now available at Starbucks, the leading retailer, roaster and brand of specialty coffee in the world. Horizon Organic also stated that it is on track to meet expectations in the third quarter of 2001.

Earlier this summer, select Starbucks retail locations began selling three flavors of Horizon Organic branded yogurt. Consumer reaction was positive and, as a result, the yogurts will be offered in approximately 1,000 Starbucks locations nationwide by this fall.

"We are excited to be working with a company the caliber of Starbucks," said Chuck Marcy, president and chief executive officer of Horizon Organic. "We believe that Starbucks and Horizon Organic consumers share similar values, beliefs and a passion for great food. We are pleased that these consumers will now be able to find organic dairy products at their local Starbucks."

"Starbucks looks to offer customers products from leading companies and Horizon Organic is a brand recognized for high quality, great tasting dairy products," continued Marcy. "This is a great starting point to further our association with Starbucks. We are currently evaluating several additional products that could be marketed through Starbucks retail stores in the U.S. as well as internationally. We look forward to making further announcements as more products are introduced."

Horizon Organic also announced today that the company is on track to achieve record revenue and meet consensus estimates for its third quarter 2001 ending September 30, 2001. As reported previously, the company anticipates earnings per share to reach $0.04 to $0.06.

"We are pleased our sales growth is strong and profitability continues to improve," said Marcy. "The initiatives we have put in place continue to have the desired impact, and we are comfortable with year end consensus estimates. We also anticipate third and fourth quarter 2001 revenue and earnings to be an significant improvement over the same period last year."

Horizon Organic produces and markets the leading brand of certified organic milk and a full line of refrigerated, certified organic dairy products. The company also markets certified organic eggs and juices. The company's products can be found in conventional supermarkets and natural foods stores across the U.S. and in the U.K. For more information, please visit the Company's web site at www.horizonorganic.com.

Note on Forward-Looking Statements: This news release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Future events may differ materially from those discussed herein, due to a number of factors, including uncertainties related to the company's ability to continue strong growth, to achieve distribution and operational efficiencies, and to expand domestically and internationally, as well as increased milk costs, inbound and outbound freight and distribution costs, higher costs related to new-product introductions and increased personnel costs. These factors and others are more fully discussed in the company's Annual Report on Form10-K for the year ended December 31, 2000.