DARLING INTERNATIONAL INC. ANNOUNCES FIRST QUARTER 2005 RESULTS

May 12, 2005: Darling International Inc. (Amex: DAR) today reported sales and earnings for the first quarter ended April 2, 2005 . For the first quarter 2005, the Company's net sales were $71.4 million as compared to $77.5 million for the first quarter 2004. Lower finished product prices and raw material supplies accounted for substantially all of the $6.1 million decrease in net sales. Net income for the first quarter 2005 declined to $0.9 million, or $0.01 per share, as compared to net income of $3.9 million, or $0.06 per share, for the 2004 comparable period. The $3.0 million decrease in net income for the first quarter 2005 was due primarily to decreases in finished product prices and raw material supplies, as well as an other income gain of $1.3 million that was recognized in the first quarter 2004 due to a gain on extinguishment of bank debt. Randall Stuewe, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Darling, said, "Adverse operating conditions, including a further decline in raw material volumes, lower finished product prices and continued high relative prices for diesel fuel and natural gas, made for a very challenging first quarter. Poor weather in the northeast also affected our used cooking oil and grease trap servicing capabilities, which negatively impacted the profitability of our Restaurant Services segment. Responding to these challenges while continuing to execute on our strategic business plan has been and will remain our chief priority. " -MORE- News Release May 12, 2005 Page 2 Darling International will host a conference call to discuss the Company's first quarter 2005 financial results at 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time (10:00 a.m. Central Time) on Friday, May 13, 2005. To listen to the conference call, participants calling from within North America may dial 800-322-0079; international participants may dial 973-409-9258. Please call approximately fifteen minutes before the start of the call to ensure that you are connected. The call will also be available as a live audio web cast that can be accessed on the company website at http://www.darlingii.com/investors/investors.html or http://www.earnings.com. Following its completion, a replay of the call can be accessed until June 10, 2005 by dialing 877-519-4471 or 973-341-3080 outside of North America. The access code for the replay is 6045716. The conference call will also be archived on the company's website for seven days. Darling International Inc. is the largest publicly traded, food processing by-products recycling company in the United States. The Company recycles used restaurant cooking oil and by-products from the beef, pork and poultry processing industries into useable products such as tallow, feed-grade fats and meat and bone meal. These products are primarily sold to animal feed and oleo-chemical manufacturers around the world. In addition, the Company provides grease trap collection services and sells equipment to restaurants.