Major interests in shares

Associated British Foods PLC
16 March 2006


Associated British Foods plc
16 March 2006



NOTIFICATION OF MAJOR INTERESTS IN SHARES


1. Name of Company

Associated British Foods plc

2. Name of shareholder having a major interest

        Legal & General Group plc
        Temple Court
        11 Queen Victoria St
        London
        EC4N 4SB

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

Shareholder named in 2 above

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

Nominee: HSBC Global Custody Nominee (UK) Ltd

        Account Number                 Shares held
        914945                         143,204
        923363                         640,600
        775237                         241,000
        942199                         1,412,000
        942229                         1,400,000
        942217                         1,406,000
        942205                         1,409,000
        942175                         1,404,000
        942187                         1,404,000
        775245                         1,152,459
        770286                         494,000
        357206                         9,531,144
        866203                         747,257
        904332                         81,070
        969995                         932,504
        985551                         51,306
        754612                         3,332,700
        361602                         71,000
        282605                         3,801,000
        360509                         590,453
        766793                         650,000
        824434                         162,900
        924422                         595,000

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

15 March 2006

12. Total holding following this notification

31,652,597 ordinary shares

13. Total percentage holding of issued class following this notification

3.99%

14. Any additional information

Shares in issue as at 15 March 2006 - 791,674,183

15. Name of contact and telephone number for queries

Rosalyn Mendelsohn - 020 7399 6500

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

Rosalyn Mendelsohn
Deputy Company Secretary
Associated British Foods plc

16 March 2006

www.abf.co.uk



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