International Home Foods, Inc. Stock Option Plan

INTERNATIONAL HOME FOODS, INC.
1996 STOCK OPTION PLAN


1. Purpose.


International Home Foods, Inc., a Delaware corporation (herein, together with its successors, referred to as the "Company"), by means of this 1996 Stock Option Plan (the "Plan"), desires to afford certain individuals and key employees of the Company and any parent corporation or subsidiary corporation thereof now existing or hereafter formed or acquired (such parent and subsidiary corporations sometimes referred to herein as "Related Entities") who are responsible for the continued growth of the Company an opportunity to acquire a proprietary interest in the Company, and thus to create in such persons an increased interest in and a greater concern for the welfare of the Company and any Related Entities. As used in the Plan, the terms "parent corporation" and "subsidiary corporation" shall mean, respectively, a corporation within the definition of such terms contained in Sections 424(e) and 424(f), respectively, of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Code").


The stock options described in Sections 6 and 7 (the "Options"), and the shares of Common Stock (as hereinafter defined) acquired pursuant to the exercise of such Options are a matter of separate inducement and are not in lieu of any salary or other compensation for services.


2. Administration.


The Plan shall be administered by the Option Committee, or any successor thereto, of the Board of Directors of the Company (the "Board of Directors"), or by any other committee appointed by the Board of Directors to administer this Plan (the "Committee"); provided, the entire Board of Directors may act as the Committee if it chooses to do so. The number of individuals that shall constitute the Committee shall be determined from time to time by a majority of all the members of the Board of Directors, and, unless that majority of the Board of Directors determines otherwise, shall be no less than two individuals; provided, however, that unless the Plan and the Options granted thereunder otherwise comply with Rule 16b-3 (or any successor rule) under the Exchange Act (or any successor law) the Committee shall be composed of either (a) the entire Board of Directors or (b) persons who are "Non-Employee Directors under Rule 16b-3. A majority of the Committee shall constitute a quorum (or if the Committee consists of only two members, then both members shall constitute a quorum), and subject to the provisions of Section 5, the acts of a majority of the members present at any meeting at which a quorum is present, or acts approved in writing by all members of the Committee, shall be the acts of the Committee.


The members of the Committee shall serve at the pleasure of the Board of Directors, which shall have the power, at any time and from time to time, to remove members from or add members to the Committee. Removal from the Committee may be with or without cause. Any individual serving as a member of the Committee shall have the right to resign from membership in the Committee by written notice to the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors, and not the remaining members of the Committee, shall have the power and authority to fill vacancies on the Committee, however caused. The Board of Directors shall promptly fill any vacancy that causes the number of members of the Committee to be below two or, if the Company has a class of equity securities registered pursuant to Section 12 of the Exchange Act, any other number that Rule 16b-3 may require from time to time.


3. Shares Available.


Subject to the adjustments provided in Section 10, the maximum aggregate number of shares of Common Stock, $.01 par value, of the Company ("Common Stock") in respect of which Options may be 2 granted for all purposes under the Plan shall be 45,000,000 shares. If, for any reason, any shares as to which Options have been granted cease to be subject to purchase thereunder, including the expiration of such Option, the termination of such Option prior to exercise, or the forfeiture of such Option, such shares shall thereafter be available for grants under the Plan. Options granted under the Plan may be fulfilled in accordance with the terms of the Plan with (i) authorized and unissued shares of the Common Stock, (ii) issued shares of such Common Stock held in the Company's treasury, or (iii) issued shares of Common Stock reacquired by the Company in each situation as the Board of Directors or the Committee may determine from time to time.


4. Eligibility and Bases of Participation.


Grants of Incentive Options (as hereinafter defined) and Non-Qualified Options (as hereinafter defined) may be made under the Plan, subject to and in accordance with Section 6, to Key Employees. As used herein, the term "Kev Employee" shall mean any employee of the Company or any Related Entity, including officers and directors of the Company or any Related Entity who are also employees of the Company or any Related Entity, who is regularly employed on a salaried basis and who is so employed on the date of such grant, whom the Committee identifies as having a direct and significant effect on the performance of the Company or any Related Entity.


Grants of Non-Qualified Options may be made, subject to and in accordance with Section 7, to any Eligible Non-Employee. As used herein, the term "Eligible Non-Employee" shall mean any person or entity of any nature whatsoever, specifically including an individual, a firm, a company, a corporation, a partnership, a trust, or other entity (collectively, a "Person"), that the Committee designates as eligible for a grant of Options pursuant to this Plan because such Person performs bona fide consulting, advisory, or other services for the Company or any Related Entity (other than services in connection with the offer or sale of securities in a capital-raising transaction) and the Board of Directors or the Committee determines that the Person has a direct and significant effect on the financial development of the Company or any Related Entity.


The adoption of this Plan shall not be deemed to give any Person a right to be granted any Options.


Notwithstanding any other provision of this Plan to the contrary, with respect to the grant of any Options to any Key Employee or Eligible Non-Employee, the Committee shall first determine the number of shares in respect of which Options are to be granted to such Key Employee or Eligible Non-Employee and shall then cause to be granted to such Key Employee or Eligible Non-Employee an Option exercisable for such shares. The exercise price per share of Common Stock under each Option shall be fixed by the Committee at the time of grant of the Option and shall equal at least 100% of the Fair Market Value of a share of Common Stock on the date of grant.


5. Authority of Committee.


Subject to and not inconsistent with the express provisions of the Plan, the Code and, if applicable, Rule 16b-3, the Committee shall have plenary authority to:


a. determine the Key Employees and Eligible Non-Employees to whom
Options shall be granted, the time when such Options shall be
granted, the number of options, the purchase price or exercise
price of each Option, the period(s) during which such Options
shall be exercisable (whether in whole or in part, including
whether such Options shall become immediately exercisable upon
the consummation of a "Sale of the Company" or a "Qualifying
Public Offering"), the restrictions to be applicable to
Options and all other terms and provisions thereof (which need
not be identical); 3
b. require, as a condition to the granting of any Option, that
the Person receiving such Option agree not to sell or
otherwise dispose of such Option, any Common Stock acquired
pursuant to such Option, or any other "derivative security"
(as defined by Rule 16a-l(c) under the Exchange Act) for a
period of six months following the later of the date of the
grant of such Option or (ii) the date when the exercise price
of such Option is fixed if such exercise price is not fixed at
the date of grant of such Option, or for such other period as
the Committee may determine;


c. provide an arrangement through registered broker-dealers
whereby temporary financing may be made available to an
optionee by the broker-dealer, under the rules and regulations
of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve, for the
purpose of assisting the optionee in the exercise of an
Option, such authority to include the payment by the Company
of the commissions of the broker-dealer;


d. provide the establishment of procedures for an optionee (i) to
have withheld from the total number of shares of Common Stock
to be acquired upon the exercise of an Option (other than an
Incentive Option) that number of shares having a Fair Market
Value which, together with such cash as shall be paid in
respect of fractional shares, shall equal the aggregate
exercise price under such Option for the number of shares then
being acquired (including the shares to be so withheld), and
(ii) to exercise a portion of an Option by delivering that
number of shares of Common Stock already owned by such
optionee having an aggregate Fair Market Value which shall
equal the partial Option exercise price and to deliver the
shares thus acquired by such optionee in payment of shares to
be received pursuant to the exercise of additional portions of
such Option, the effect of which shall be that such optionee
can in sequence utilize such newly acquired shares in payment
of the exercise price of the entire Option, together with such
cash as shall be paid in respect of fractional shares;
provided, however, that in the case of an Incentive Option, no
shares shall be used to pay the exercise price unless such
shares were not acquired through the exercise of an Incentive
Option or, if so acquired, have been held for more than two
years since the grant of such Option and for more than one
year since the exercise of such Option;


e. provide (in accordance with Section 13 or otherwise) the
establishment of a procedure whereby a number of shares of
Common Stock or other securities may be withheld from the
total number of shares of Common Stock or other securities to
be issued upon exercise of an Option (other than an Incentive
Option) to meet the obligation of withholding for income,
social security and other taxes incurred by an optionee upon
such exercise or required to be withheld by the Company or a
Related Entity in connection with such exercise;


f. prescribe, amend, modify and rescind rules and regulations
relating to the Plan;


g. make all determinations permitted or deemed necessary,
appropriate or advisable for the administration of the Plan,
interpret any Plan or Option provision, perform all other
acts, exercise all other powers, and establish any other
procedures determined by the Committee to be necessary,
appropriate, or advisable in administering the Plan or for the
conduct of the Committee's business. Any act of the
Committee, including interpretations of the provisions of the
Plan or any Option and determinations under the Plan or any
Option shall be final, conclusive and binding on all parties.


The Committee may delegate to one or more of its members, or to one or more agents, such administrative duties as it may deem advisable, and the Committee or any Person to whom it has delegated


-3- 4 duties as aforesaid may employ one or more Persons to render advice with respect to any responsibility the Committee or such Person may have under the Plan. The Committee may employ attorneys, consultants, accountants, or other Persons and the Committee, the Company, and its officers and directors shall be entitled to rely upon the advice, opinions, or valuations of any such Persons. No member or agent of the Committee shall be personally liable for any action, determination or interpretation made in good faith with respect to the Plan and all members and agents of the Committee shall be fully protected by the Company in respect of any such action, determination or interpretation.


6. Stock Options for Key Employees.


Subject to the express provisions of this Plan, the Committee shall have the authority to grant incentive stock options pursuant to Section 422 of the Code ("Incentive Options"), to grant non-qualified stock options (options which do not qualify under Section 422 of the Code) ("Non-Qualified Options"), and to grant both types of Options to Key Employees. No Incentive Option shall be granted pursuant to this Plan after the earlier of ten years from the date of adoption of the Plan or ten years from the date of approval of the Plan by the stockholders of the Company. Notwithstanding anything in this Plan to the contrary, Incentive Options may be granted only to Key Employees. The terms and conditions of the Options granted under this Section 6 shall be determined from time to time by the Committee; provided, however, that the Options granted under this Section 6 shall be subject to all terms and provisions of the Plan (other than Section 7), including the following:


a. Option Exercise Price. Subject to Section 4, the Committee
shall establish the Option exercise price at the time any
Option is granted at such amount as the Committee shall
determine; provided, that, in the case of an Incentive Option,
such price shall not be less than the Fair Market Value per
share of Common Stock at the date the Option is granted; and
provided, further, that in the case of an Incentive Option
granted to a person who, at the time such Incentive Option is
granted, owns shares of the Company or any Related Entity
which possess more than 10% of the total combined voting power
of all classes of shares of the Company or of any Related
Entity, the option exercise price shall not be less than 110%
of the Fair Market Value per share of Common Stock at the date
the Option is granted. The Option exercise price shall be
subject to adjustment in accordance with the provisions of
Section 10 of the Plan.


b. Payment. The price per share of Common Stock with respect to
each Option exercise shall be payable at the time of such
exercise. Such price shall be payable in cash or by any other
means acceptable to the Committee, including delivery to the
Company of shares of Common Stock owned by the optionee or by
the delivery or withholding of shares pursuant to a procedure
created pursuant to Section 5.d. of the Plan. Shares
delivered to or withheld by the Company in payment of the
Option exercise price shall be valued at the Fair Market Value
of the Common Stock on the day preceding the date of the
exercise of the Option.


c. Continuation of Employment. Each Incentive Option shall
require the optionee to remain in the continuous employ of the
Company or any Related Entity from the date of grant of the
Incentive Option until no more than three months prior to the
date of exercise of the Incentive Option.


d. Exercisability of Stock Option. Subject to Section 8, each
Option shall be exercisable in one or more installments as the
Committee may determine at the time of the grant. No Option
by its terms shall be exercisable after the expiration of ten
years from the date of grant of the Option, unless, as to any
Non-Qualified Option, otherwise expressly provided in such
Option;


-4- 5
provided, however, that no Incentive Option granted to a
person who, at the time such Option is granted, owns stock of
the Company, or any Related Entity, possessing more than 10%
of the total combined voting power of all classes of stock of
the Company, or any Related Entity, shall be exercisable after
the expiration of five years from the date such Option is
granted.


e. Death. If any optionee's employment with the Company or a
Related Entity terminates due to the death of such optionee,
the estate of such optionee, or a Person who acquired the
right to exercise such Option by bequest or inheritance or by
reason of the death of the optionee, shall have the right to
exercise such Option in accordance with its terms at any time
and from time to time within 180 days after the date of death
unless a longer or shorter period is expressly provided in
such Option or established by the Committee pursuant to
Section 8 (but in no event after the expiration date of such
Option).


f. Disability. If the employment of any optionee terminates
because of his Disability (as defined in Section 18), such
optionee or his legal representative shall have the right to
exercise the Option in accordance with its terms at any time
and from time to time within 180 days after the date of such
termination unless a longer or shorter period is expressly
provided in such Option or established by the Committee
pursuant to Section 8 (but not after the expiration date of
the Option); provided, however, that in the case of an
Incentive Option, the optionee or his legal representative
shall in any event be required to exercise the Incentive
Option within one year after termination of the optionee's
employment due to his Disability.


g. Termination for Cause; Voluntary Termination. Unless an
optionee's Option expressly provides otherwise, such optionee
shall immediately forfeit all rights under his Option, except
as to the shares of stock already purchased thereunder, if the
employment of such optionee with the Company or a Related
Entity is terminated by the Company or any Related Entity for
Good Cause (as defined below) or if such optionee voluntarily
terminates employment without the consent of the Company or
any Related Entity. The determination that there exists Good
Cause for termination shall be made by the Option Committee
(unless otherwise agreed to in writing by the Company and the
optionee).


h. Other Termination of Employment. If the employment of an
optionee with the Company or a Related Entity terminates for
any reason other than those specified in subsections 6(e), (f)
or (g) above, such optionee shall have the right to exercise
his Option in accordance with its terms, within 30 days after
the date of such termination, unless a longer or shorter
period is expressly provided in such Option or established by
the Committee pursuant to Section 8 (but not after the
expiration date of the Option); provided, that no Incentive
Option shall be exercisable more than three months afte ...