Major interests in shares

Associated British Foods PLC
24 May 2006


Associated British Foods plc
24 May 2006

NOTIFICATION OF MAJOR INTERESTS IN SHARES

1. Name of Company

Associated British Foods plc

2. Name of shareholder having a major interest

FMR Corp.
82 Devonshire Street
Boston, MA 02109

Parent holding company of Fidelity Management & Research Company (FMRCO),
investment manager for US mutual funds, and Fidelity Management Trust Company
(FMTC), a US state chartered bank which acts as a trustee or investment manager
of various pension and trust accounts.

Fidelity International Ltd
PO Box HM 670
Hamilton HMCX, Bermuda

Parent holding company for various direct and indirect subsidiaries, including
Fidelity Investment Services Ltd. (FISL), Fidelity Gestion (FIGEST), Fidelity
Investments Advisory (Korea) Limited (FIA(K)), Fidelity Investments Management
(Hong Kong) Limited (FIMHK), Fidelity Pension Management (FPM), Fidelity
Investments Japan (FIJ) and Fidelity Investments International (FII), investment
managers for various non-US investment companies and institutional clients.

3. Please state whether notification indicates that it is in respect of holding
of the shareholder named in 2 above or in respect of a non-beneficial interest
or in the case of an individual holder if it is a holding of that person's
spouse or children under the age of 18

Non-beneficial

The notifiable interests also comprise the notifiable interest of

Mr Edward C Johnson 3d
82 Devonshire Street
Boston, MA 02109

A principal shareholder in FMR Corp. and Fidelity International Limited.

4. Name of the registered holder(s) and, if more than one holder, the number of 
shares held by each of them

Nominee/ Registered name      Management Company     Shares held
Northern Trust London                 FPM            2,376,620
JP Morgan Bournemouth                 FPM            2,356,400
State Str BK and TR Co LNDN           FPM            1,708,400
Bank of New York Brussels             FPM             1,417,029
Mellon Bank                           FPM            712,400
HSBC Bank Plc                         FPM            235,500
JP Morgan, Bournemouth                FISL           2,196,044
Brown Bros Harrimn Ltd LUX            FIL            9,440,891
JP Morgan, Bournemouth                FIL            1,563,714
Bank of New York Brussels             FIL            270,700
Northern Trust London                 FIL            40,400
Bank of New York Europe Ldn           FII            1,366,025

5. Number of shares / amount of stock acquired

N/A

6. Percentage of issued class

N/A

7. Number of shares / amount of stock disposed

N/A

8. Percentage of issued class

N/A

9. Class of security

Ordinary Shares of 5 15/22 pence each

10. Date of transaction

N/A

11. Date company informed

24 May 2006

12. Total holding following this notification

23,684,123 ordinary shares

13. Total percentage holding of issued class following this notification

2.99%

14. Any additional information

Shares in issue as at 24 May 2006 - 791,674,183

15. Name of contact and telephone number for queries

Simon Smith - 020 7399 6500

16. Name of authorised company official responsible for making this notification

Simon Smith
Assistant Company Secretary
Associated British Foods plc

24 May 2006

www.abf.co.uk
FSA allocated short name - Assoc British Foods


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