

                         Exhibit 99


Gold Kist Inc.                            - Contact -
P.O. Box 2210                             Karla Harvill
Atlanta, GA 30301                       (770) 393-5091


Gold Kist Announces Filing of Purported Class Action Lawsuit

     ATLANTA, GEORGIA.  Gold Kist Inc. (the "Company") today
announced that it has been named as a defendant in a
purported class action lawsuit filed in the U.S. District
Court for the Northern District of Alabama alleging that the
Company's production contracts with its member-growers
constitute unfair practices or arrangements that have
permitted the Company to manipulate the prices of live
poultry and have damaged independent live poultry producers
in violation of the Federal Packers and Stockyards Act of
1921.  The Company believes that the substantive and class
claims alleged in this lawsuit are without merit. The
plaintiff's claims are premised on the existence of a
significant market for live poultry that does not exist
within the vertically integrated structure of the U.S.
poultry industry.  Further, the Company is a farmers'
cooperative, and the Company believes that the plaintiff,
who is a member of the cooperative, is obligated to
arbitrate any disputes with the Company on an individual
basis and also otherwise lacks standing to bring the claims
in question..  For these and other reasons, the Company
intends to defend the suit vigorously and believes that this
lawsuit will not have a material adverse effect on the
Company.

     Some of the statements included in this press release,
including the statements regarding the Company's belief as
to the merits of the claims alleged in the purported class
action lawsuit discussed above, its applicability to the
U.S. poultry industry and the Company and the results of
such lawsuit, are forward-looking statements as defined in
Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of
the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.  Such statements
involve a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause
the actual results to differ materially from the Company's
expectations and beliefs as stated above.  Such statements
are based on information currently known by the Company and
the Company's current assumptions as to relevant matters.
The Company does not intend to update any forward-looking
statements contained in this press release.

     Gold Kist Inc. (www.goldkist.com) is one of the largest
and the only cooperative poultry company in the United
States.  Approximately 2,300 family farmers contract with
Gold Kist to produce 14 million chickens per week.  Products
are marketed under the Gold Kist Farmsr brand name and
private labels to retail, foodservice, industrial and export
customers.   With headquarters in Atlanta, Gold Kist employs
approximately 16,000 people and serves customers throughout
the United States and many foreign countries.

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