Exhibit 99.1

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:

Jerry Hostetter

Smithfield Foods, Inc.

(212) 758-2100

jerryhostetter@smithfieldfoods.com

Smithfield Comments on Third Quarter Earnings

Smithfield, Virginia (February 15, 2007)—Smithfield Foods, Inc. (NYSE: SFD) said today that it expects to announce earnings for the fiscal 2007 third quarter in the range of $.53 to $.56 per diluted share for the period ended January 28. The company reported $.63 per diluted share in the same quarter last year.

The company noted that the results reflect a significant decline in hog production earnings that were partially offset by sharply higher earnings in its international segment and approximately $.04 per diluted share in tax-related adjustments.

Smithfield will announce third quarter earnings on March 1.

Smithfield Foods has delivered a 24 percent average annual compounded rate of return to investors since 1975. With sales of $11 billion, Smithfield is the leading processor and marketer of fresh pork and processed meats in the United States, as well as the largest producer of hogs. For more information, visit www.smithfieldfoods.com.

This press release contains “forward-looking” statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. The forward-looking information includes statements concerning the Company’s outlook for the future, as well as other statements of beliefs, future plans and other strategies or anticipated events, and similar expressions concerning matters that are not historical facts. The Company’s forward-looking information and statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, the statements. These risks and uncertainties include the availability and prices of live hogs and cattle, raw materials, fuel and supplies, food safety, livestock disease, live hog production costs, product pricing, the competitive environment and related market conditions, the Company’s ability to balance capacity versus market demand, the effect of investments in additional beef processing, the timing and extent to which beef export markets are reopened, hedging risk, operating efficiencies, changes in interest rate and foreign currency exchange rates, access to capital, the investment performance of the Company’s pension plan assets and the availability of legislative funding relief, the cost of compliance with environmental and health standards, adverse results from on-going litigation, actions of domestic and foreign governments, the ability to make effective acquisitions and successfully integrate newly acquired businesses into existing operations and other risks and uncertainties described in the Company’s Annual Report

on Form 10-K for fiscal 2006 and in its subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements because actual results may differ materially from those expressed, or implied, by the statements. Any forward-looking statement that the Company makes speaks only as of the date of such statement, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Comparisons of results for current and any prior periods are not intended to express any future trends or indications of future performances, unless expressed as such, and should only be viewed as historical data.

In connection with the proposed merger transaction involving Smithfield, Premium Standard Farms, Inc. (“PSF”) and KC2 Merger Sub, Inc., Smithfield has filed with the SEC a registration statement on Form S-4 containing a proxy statement/prospectus for the stockholders of PSF and each of Smithfield and PSF may be filing other documents regarding the proposed transaction with the SEC as well. BEFORE MAKING ANY VOTING OR INVESTMENT DECISION, INVESTORS ARE URGED TO READ THE PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS REGARDING THE PROPOSED TRANSACTION, AS WELL AS THE OTHER DOCUMENTS REFERRED TO IN THE PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS CAREFULLY IN THEIR ENTIRETY WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROPOSED TRANSACTION. The definitive proxy statement/prospectus has been mailed to PSF’s stockholders. Stockholders may obtain a free copy of the proxy statement/prospectus, as well as other filings containing information about Smithfield and PSF, without charge, at the SEC’s Internet site (http://www.sec.gov). Copies of the proxy statement/prospectus and the filings with the SEC that are incorporated by reference in the proxy statement/prospectus can also be obtained, without charge, by directing a request to Smithfield Foods, Inc., 200 Commerce Street, Smithfield, Virginia 23430, Attention: Investor Relations (212) 758-2100, or to PSF, 805 Pennsylvania Avenue, Suite 200, Kansas City, Missouri 64105 Attention: Investor Relations (816) 472-7675.

Smithfield, PSF and their respective directors and executive officers and other persons may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies in respect of the proposed transaction. Information regarding Smithfield’s directors and executive officers is available in Smithfield’s proxy statement for its 2006 annual meeting of stockholders and Smithfield’s 2006 Annual Report on Form 10-K, which were filed with the SEC on July 31, 2006 and June 30, 2006, respectively, and information regarding PSF’s directors and executive officers is available in PSF’s proxy statement for its 2006 annual meeting of stockholders and PSF’s 2006 Annual Report on Form 10-K, which were filed with the SEC on July 21, 2006 and May 31, 2006, respectively. Other information regarding the participants in the proxy solicitation and a description of their direct and indirect interests, by security holdings or otherwise, is contained in the proxy statement/prospectus filed with the SEC.

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