Exhibit 2

Company Press Release


DAYVILLE, Conn., Feb. 23 -- United Natural Foods, Inc. (Nasdaq: UNFI - news)
announced today that its Board of Directors has adopted a Shareholder Rights
Plan (the "Rights Plan ") designed to protect shareholders in the event of any
proposed takeover of the Company or accumulation of its stock. The Board's
adoption of the Rights Plan was not taken in response to any known effort to
acquire control of the Company. The Board also set the size of the Board at
seven directors and intends to add a seventh director before the next annual
meeting.

The Company will make a distribution of one right for each outstanding share of
common stock of the Company to shareholders of record at the close of business
on March 3, 2000. The rights will become exercisable on economically
advantageous terms only in the event that, subject to certain exceptions stated
in the Rights Plan, a person or group acquires beneficial ownership of 15% or
more of the Company's common stock. Unless earlier redeemed, the rights will
expire on February 22, 2010. Each right will entitle the holder to purchase
1/1000 of a share of a new series of preferred stock of the Company at an
initial exercise price of $55.00 (the "Exercise Price").

Commenting on the Rights Plan, Thomas Simone, Chairman of the Company, said,
"The Board has concluded that this action represents a prudent step in
protecting the interests of our shareholders. We are not taking this step in
response to any effort to acquire control of the Company and we are not
currently aware of any such effort. We are encouraged by the Company's progress
in implementing its recovery plan and believe it will create increased
shareholder value."

Details of the Rights Plan

Under the Rights Plan, unless the rights are earlier redeemed or exchanged, in
the event a person or group has acquired 15% or more of the Company's common
stock, each holder (other than such person or group, whose rights will upon such
acquisition become null and void) will have the right to receive, upon payment
of the Exercise Price, that number of shares of the Company having a market
value equal to two times the Exercise Price. In addition, unless the rights are
earlier redeemed or exchanged, if, after the time a person or group acquires 15%
or more of the Company's common stock, the Company is acquired in a merger or
other business combination transaction, each right will entitle its holder to
purchase (other than such person or group), for the Exercise Price, that number
of shares of the acquiring company's common stock that has a market value equal
to two times the Exercise Price.

United Natural Foods will be entitled to redeem the rights at $0.01 per right at
any time prior to the acquisition by a person or group of 15% of the Company's
common stock. The Rights Plan further provides that the Company may, at its
option, after a person or group has acquired ownership of 15% or more (but less
than 50%) of the Company's stock, exchange all or part of the rights (other than
the rights held by such person or group) for common stock of the Company at an
exchange ratio of one share per right.

The terms of the Rights Agreement will control all aspect of the Rights Plan.


United Natural Foods, Inc. distributes over 26,000 products to more than 6,500
customers in 47 states. The Company serves a wide variety of retail formats
including conventional supermarket chains, natural product superstores and
independent retail operators.

For more information on United Natural Foods, Inc., via fax at no charge, please
dial 1-800-PRO-INFO and enter the Company's ticker symbol, UNFI.

This press release contains forward-looking statements relating to the Company's
results of operations, and such statements involve a number of risks and
uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from those projected in the
forward-looking statements. Additional information concerning factors that could
cause actual results to materially differ from those in the forward-looking
statements is contained in the Company's SEC filings, including its periodic
reports filed under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (copies of
which are available upon request from the Company's investor relations
department).