Lifeway Foods Reports Record 1st Quarter 20...( - Revenu...),Health

- Revenues Up 23%

- Gross Profit Decreases 2% on 30% Higher Milk Costs

- Pre-Tax Income $1,446,000

- Net income $888,000; EPS $.05

MORTON GROVE, Ill., May 15 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Lifeway Foods, Inc., (Nasdaq: LWAY), makers of the nutritious, probiotic dairy beverage called kefir, announced today for the first quarter ended March 31, 2008, total sales increased 23% to approximately $11,122,000 from $9,022,000 during the same period a year ago. This increase in sales was driven by another strong sales increase of Lifeway's flagship kefir line, Lifeway's ProBugs(TM) Organic Kefir for Kids, and Lifeway's "Helios Organic" brand kefir.

First quarter 2008 gross profit decreased 2% to $3,490,731 from $3,572,419 during the same period a year ago. The cost of milk, Lifeway's largest raw material cost component was on the average 30% higher in the first quarter 2008, when compared with the first quarter 2007. Pre tax income was $1,446,551 in the first quarter 2008, compared to $1,781,105 in the first quarter 2007. Net income was $888,605 in the first quarter 2008, compared to $1,135,331 in the first quarter 2007.

Edward Smolyansky, CFO commented, "We are extremely pleased at our first quarter 2008 results. Sales were again very strong, and we really started to see the benefits of decreasing milk cost, which began in March. These decreases have since continued in April, and even more so in May, and we hope that this trend continues throughout the year. As far as revenues go, in April we had a couple of weeks where we surpassed the $1 million dollar a week threshold, and that is certainly an exciting event for a company such as ours." Smo
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