Axa notification Nov 09

TR-1: NOTIFICAION OF MAJOR INTEREST IN SHARES

1. Identity of the issuer or the underlying issuer of existing shares to which voting rights are attached: ii

Associated British Foods plc

2 Reason for the notification (please tick the appropriate box or boxes):

An acquisition or disposal of voting rights

x

An acquisition or disposal of qualifying financial instruments which may result in the acquisition of shares already issued to which voting rights are attached

An acquisition or disposal of instruments with similar economic effect to qualifying financial instruments

An event changing the breakdown of voting rights

Other (please specify):

3. Full name of person(s) subject to the notification obligation: iii

AXA S.A., 25 Avenue Matignon, 75008 Paris and its group of companies

4. Full name of shareholder(s)  (if different from 3.):iv

5. Date of the transaction and date on which the threshold is crossed or reached: v

09/11/09

6. Date on which issuer notified:

Notification dated 10/11/09; received by Issuer on 11/11/09

7. Threshold(s) that is/are crossed or reached: vi, vii

Decrease in total holdings from 5.62% to 4.97%

8. Notified details:

A: Voting rights attached to shares viii, ix

Class/type of shares

if possible using the ISIN CODE

Situation previous to the triggering transaction

Resulting situation after the triggering transaction

Number of Shares

Number of Voting Rights

Number of shares

Number of voting rights

% of voting rights x

Direct

Direct xi

Indirect xii

Direct

Indirect

44,492,796

44,492,796

1,258,693

1,258,693

38,091,547

0.16

4.81

673123

B: Qualifying Financial Instruments

Resulting situation after the triggering transaction

Type of financial instrument

Expiration date xiii

Exercise/ Conversion Period xiv

Number of voting rights that may be acquired if the instrument is exercised/ converted.

% of voting rights

C: Financial Instruments with similar economic effect to Qualifying Financial Instruments xv, xvi

Resulting situation after the triggering transaction

Type of financial instrument

Exercise price

Expiration date xvii

Exercise/ Conversion period xviii

Number of voting rights instrument refers to

% of voting rights xix, xx

Nominal

Delta

Total (A+B+C)

Number of voting rights

Percentage of voting rights

39,350,240

4.97%

9. Chain of controlled undertakings through which the voting rights and/or the financial instruments are effectively held, if applicable: xxi

Name of the Company/Fund

Number of Shares

% of issued share capital

Alliance Capital Management 

Direct

432,400.00

0.05462

AXA

Direct

760,298.00

0.09604

AXA Colonia Konzern

Direct

9,500.00

0.00120

AXA Financial, Inc 

Indirect

37,538,324.00

4.74164

AXA IM UK

Direct

56,495.00

0.007136144

AXA IM UK

Indirect

127,950.00

0.02

AXA Rosenberg

Indirect

425,273.00

0.053718192

Total Direct

Total Indirect

1,258,693

38,091,547

0.15899

4.81152

TOTAL

39,350,240

4.97051

Proxy Voting:

10. Name of the proxy holder:

11. Number of voting rights proxy holder will cease to hold:

12. Date on which proxy holder will cease to hold voting rights:

13. Additional information:

14. Contact name:

Rosalyn Schofield, 

Director of Company Secretariat & Solicitor 

15. Contact telephone number:

020 7299 3641