FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:  MGP STOCKHOLDERS RE-ELECT HAVERTY,
                        SEABERG, SCHRICK TO BOARD


     ATCHISON, Kan., October 11, 2002--Michael R. Haverty,  chairman,  president
and chief executive officer of Kansas City Southern, was re-elected to the Board
of Directors of MGP Ingredients,  Inc. (MGPI/Nasdaq) yesterday by holders of the
company's common stock.  Ladd M. Seaberg,  president and chief executive officer
of MGP Ingredients,  and Randall M. Schrick, vice president of manufacturing and
engineering,  were re-elected to the board by holders of the company's preferred
stock. The terms of all three expire in 2005.

     Results of the elections were announced at the company's  annual meeting of
stockholders  yesterday in Atchison.  The elections  were the only items on this
year's ballots.

     Haverty has been a member of the company's  board since  October,  1999. He
currently serves as chairman of the board's nominating committee and is a member
of its audit review and human resources committees. He has served in his present
capacity at Kansas City Southern since January,  2001, and previously  spent six
years as that  company's  executive vice  president.  Haverty has also served as
president  and chief  executive  officer of The  Kansas  City  Southern  Railway
Company, a subsidiary of Kansas City Southern, since 1995.

     Seaberg, who was first elected to the board of MGP Ingredients in 1979, has
served as the  company's  president  since 1980 and as chief  executive  officer
since 1988. He began his career with the company in 1969 and has been an officer
since 1970.

     Schrick became a director in 1987 and has been with the company since 1973.
He was named vice  president of  manufacturing  and  engineering  this past May,
prior to which he served for ten years as vice president of operations and eight
years as vice  president and general  manager of the  company's  plant in Pekin,
Ill.

     Formerly  Midwest Grain  Products,  Inc., the company's name was officially
changed to MGP Ingredients,  Inc. yesterday. The new name was adopted to reflect
the company's greatly increased focus on supplying  ingredient  solutions to the
marketplace.  The company produces an array of specialty and commodity  proteins
and  starches,  along  with  food  grade  and fuel  grade  alcohol  and  alcohol
by-products.

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