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                                                                   EXHIBIT 10.70

                                                                     Rev. 8-9-99

                      SEVERANCE PLAN FOR ELIGIBLE EMPLOYEES
                             OF MICHAEL FOODS, INC.
                              AND ITS SUBSIDIARIES

     WHEREAS, Michael Foods, Inc. (the "Company") considers the establishment
and maintenance of a sound and vital management team essential to protecting and
enhancing its best interest and those of its various subsidiaries and the
Company's shareholders; and

     WHEREAS, the Company recognizes that, as is the case with many
publicly-held corporations, the possibility of a Change in Control of the
Company exists and that such possibility and the uncertainty and questions which
it may raise among management and prospective management personnel may result in
the departure or distraction of such personnel or the inability to hire key
personnel to the detriment of the Company, its subsidiaries, and the Company's
shareholders; and

     WHEREAS, accordingly, it has been determined that appropriate steps should
be taken to reinforce and encourage the continued attention and dedication of
the management personnel to their assigned duties without the distraction
arising from the possibility of a Change in Control.

     NOW, THEREFORE, Michael Foods, Inc. hereby adopts the following
compensation plan (the "Plan"):

     1.   Definitions. The following definitions shall apply for purposes of
          this plan:

          a. "Cause" means (a) the willful and continued failure by Key Employee
          to substantially perform Key Employee's duties with the Employer
          (other than any such failure resulting from incapacity due to physical
          or mental illness), after a written demand for substantial performance
          is delivered to the Key Employee by the Employer, which demand
          specifically identifies the manner in which the Employer believes that
          the Key Employee has not substantially performed Key Employee's
          duties; or (b) the willful engaging by Key Employee in conduct which
          is demonstrably and materially injurious to the Employer, monetarily
          or otherwise. For purposes of this definition, no act or failure to
          act on Key Employee's part shall be considered "willful" unless done
          or omitted to be done by Key Employee not in good faith and without
          reasonable belief that Key Employee's action or omission was in the
          best interest of the Employer.

          b. "Change in Control" means a Change in Control of the Company of a
          nature that would be required to be reported in response to Item 1(a)
          of the Company's Current Report on Form 8-K, as in effect on the
          effective date of this Plan, pursuant to Section 13 of the Securities
          Exchange Act of 1934 (the "Exchange Act"); provided that, without
          limitation, such a Change in Control shall be deemed to have occurred
          at such time as any "person" within the meaning of Section 14(d) of
          the Exchange Act, other than the Company, a subsidiary of the Company
          or any employee benefit plan sponsored by the Company or a subsidiary
          of the Company, acquires (1) the power to elect, appoint or cause the
          election of appointment of at least a majority of the members of the
          Board of Directors of the Company through the acquisition, after the
          effective date of this Plan, of beneficial ownership of capital stock
          of the Company or otherwise, or (2) all, or substantially all, of the
          properties and assets of the Company; provided, however, that a Change
          in Control shall not be deemed to have occurred if (x) the acquisition
          of such power or properties and assets is pursuant to a merger,
          consolidation, or sale of properties and assets and (y) by reason of
          such transaction no person, or related persons


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          constituting a "group" for purposes of Section 13(d) of the Exchange
          Act shall acquire the power to elect, appoint or cause the election or
          appointment of a majority of the members of the Board of Directors of
          such successor or transferee.

          c. "Company" means Michael Foods, Inc., a Minnesota corporation.

          d. "Date of Termination" means: (a) If Key Employee's employment is
          terminated by Employee for Good Reason, the date specified in the
          Notice of Termination; and (b) if Key Employee's employment is
          terminated for any other reason, the date on which a Notice of
          Termination is given.

          e. "Employer" means Michael Foods, Inc. and any direct or indirect
          subsidiary thereof.

          f. "Good Reason" means, after any Change in Control and without Key
          Employee's express written consent:

               (i) the assignment to Key Employee of any duties inconsistent
               with Key Employee's positions, duties, responsibilities and
               status with the Employer immediately prior to a Change in
               Control, or a change in Key Employee's reporting
               responsibilities, titles or offices as in effect immediately
               prior to a Change in Control, or any removal of Key Employee
               from, or any failure to re-elect Key Employee to, any of such
               positions, except in connection with the termination of Key
               Employee's employment for Cause, permanent disability,
               retirement, or by Key Employee other than for Good Reason, or as
               a result of Key Employee's death;

               (ii) a reduction in Key Employee's base salary in effect
               immediately prior to any Change in Control; or the failure by the
               Employer to increase such base salary each year after a Change in
               Control by an amount which at least equals, on a percentage
               basis, the mean average percentage increase in base salary for
               all employees similarly situated during the two (2) full calendar
               years immediately preceding a Change in Control;

               (iii) the Employer requiring Key Employee to be based anywhere
               other than the geographic location at which Key Employee was
               based immediately preceding the Change in Control except for
               required travel on business to an extent substantially consistent
               with the business travel obligations Key Employee experienced
               immediately preceding a Change in Control;

               (iv) the failure by the Employer to continue in effect benefit
               and compensation plans substantially equivalent to the benefit or
               compensation plans or arrangements in which Key Employee was
               participating immediately preceding any Change in Control; the
               taking of any action by the Employer not required by law which
               would adversely affect Key Employee's participation in or
               materially reduce Key Employee's benefits under any of such plans
               or deprive Key Employee of any material fringe benefit enjoyed by
               Key Employee at the time of the Change in Control, but this
               provision shall not apply to any stock option plan maintained by
               the Company prior to the Change in Control; or the failure by the
               Employer to provide Key Employee with the number of paid vacation
               days, holidays and personal days to which Key Employee was


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               then entitled in accordance with the Employer's normal leave
               policy in effect immediately preceding a Change in Control; or

               (v) any purported termination of Key Employee's employment by the
               Employer which is not effected pursuant to a Notice of
               Termination defined herein. Key Employee's continued employment
               shall not constitute consent to, or a waiver of rights with
               respect to, any circumstance constituting Good Reason hereunder.

          g. "Key Employee" means an employee of the Employer who has been
          selected for participation in this Plan by the Chief Executive Officer
          of the Company with the advice and consent of the Compensation
          Committee of the Board of Directors of the Company.

          h. "Notice of Termination" means a notice which shall indicate the
          specific termination provision in this Agreement relied upon and shall
          set forth, in reasonable detail, the facts and circumstances claimed
          to provide a basis for termination of Key Employee's employment under
          the provision so indicated.

          i. "Total Annual Compensation" means the Key Employee's highest annual
          rate of salary with the Employer (excluding bonuses, benefits,
          allowances, etc.) within the three calendar year periods prior to the
          date of termination of employment; provided, that if the Key Employee
          has been employed by the Employer or a predecessor for less than three
          years, Total Annual Compensation shall mean the highest annualized
          salary during the period of employment.

          j. "Year of Service" means the number of years Key Employee has been
          employed by the Employer as of the date of termination including any
          fraction of a year as a whole year.

     2. Eligibility. A Key Employee shall be an employee entitled to the
severance benefits provided herein if within 24 months following a Change in
Control his or her employment is terminated, unless such termination was due to:

          a. Death;
          b. Permanent disability;
          c. Retirement;
          d. By the Employer for Cause; or
          e. By the Key Employee other than for Good Reason.

     3. Compensation and Benefits Payable. A Key Employee who becomes eligible
to receive severance benefits under Section 2 hereof shall receive the following
compensation and benefits:

          a. His or her base salary to the date of termination and all other
          benefits or compensation to which the Key Employee is entitled through
          the date of termination.

          b. A lump sum payment equal to one year's Total Annual Compensation
          for each Key Employee; provided, however, that the following officers
          shall receive a lump sum payment equal to two (2) times such Total
          Annual Compensation:

                James J. Kohler
                Mark D. Witmer
                Ronald W. Bergman
                James Mohr


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                Dean Sprinkle
                Arthur N. Papetti

          c. Health insurance coverage provided by the Company shall be
          maintained at the cost in effect at termination until the earlier of
          the date the Key Employee becomes eligible to participate in a health
          insurance plan of another employer or eighteen (18) months following
          Key Employee's termination of employment; and

          d. All benefits of Key Employee under the 401(k) plan of the Company
          shall become immediately and fully vested.

     Notwithstanding anything in this Section to the contrary, if any of the
payments provided for in this Plan, together with any other payments which the
Key Employee has the right to receive from the Company, the Employer or any
corporation which is a member of an "affiliated group" (as defined in Section
1504(a) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Code") without
regard to Section 1504(b) of the Code) of which the Company is a member, would
constitute a "parachute payment" (as defined in Section 280G(b)(2) of the Code),
the payment pursuant to this Plan shall be reduced to the largest amount as will
result in no portion of such payments being subject to the excise tax imposed by
Section 4999 of the Code; provided, however, that the determination as to
whether any reduction in the payments under the Plan pursuant to this provision
is necessary shall be made by the Company in good faith, and such determination
shall be conclusive and binding on the Key Employee and the Company with respect
to treatment of the payment for tax reporting purposes.

     4. Fees and Expenses. In the event Employer denies a claim made by Key
Employee for benefits under this Plan, the Employer shall pay all reasonable
legal and accounting fees and related expenses incurred by the Key Employee in
seeking to obtain or enforce any right or benefit provided by this Plan after a
Change in Control, including any such fees and expenses incurred in seeking
advice with respect to the last paragraph of Section 3; provided, however, that
the Key Employee shall be required to repay any such amounts to the Employer to
the extent that an arbitrator issues a final and non-appealable order setting
forth the determination that the position taken by the Key Employee was
frivolous or advanced by him in bad faith.

     5. Agreement with Eligible Employees. The Company, and each subsidiary as
the case may be, shall enter into a written agreement with each Key Employee in
the form attached as Exhibit A hereto and the Company shall cause each
subsidiary to take such action as is necessary to carry out the Plan.

     6. Withholding. The Employer shall have the right to deduct from all
severance payments hereunder any taxes required by law to be withheld therefrom.

     7. No Right to Employment. Nothing in this Plan shall be construed as
giving any person the right to be retained in the employment of the Employer,
nor shall it affect the right of the Employer to dismiss an employee without any
liability except as provided in the Plan or by law.

     8. Termination of Plan. This Plan shall continue in effect for a period of
one year from the effective date unless the Plan is renewed by action of the
Board of Directors of the Company prior to that date and any such extension or
renewal thereof shall be on a year to year basis. The Board of Directors of the
Company reserves the right to amend or terminate the Plan at any time prior to a
Change in Control. After a Change in Control, this Plan shall remain in effect
for twenty-four (24) months unless otherwise terminated by the Board of
Directors with the consent of 80% of the Key Employees who were Key Employees at
the time of the Change in Control.



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     9. Arbitration. Any dispute or controversy arising under or in connection
with this Plan shall be settled exclusively by arbitration in Minneapolis,
Minnesota by three arbitrators in accordance with the rules of the American
Arbitration Association then in effect. Judgment may be entered on the
arbitrators' award in any court having jurisdiction; provided, however, that the
Key Employee shall be entitled to seek specific performance of his right to be
paid during the pendency of any dispute or controversy arising under or in
connection with this Plan. The Company shall bear all costs and expenses arising
in connection with any arbitration proceeding pursuant to this Section 9.

     10. Governing Law. The Plan and any agreement entered into pursuant thereto
shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of
Minnesota.

     11. Effective Date. The Plan shall be effective as of July 1, 1990.


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                                                                       Exhibit A
                               MICHAEL FOODS, INC.
                         PARTICIPANTS IN SEVERANCE PLAN
                    APPROVED FOR JULY 1, 1999 TO JULY 1, 2000

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
COMPANY EMPLOYED                                        POSITION                                           EMPLOYEE
----------------                                        --------                                           --------
<S>                                     <C>                                                 <C>
Michael Foods, Inc.................................Assistant Treasurer...............................Mark D. Witmer*
Michael Foods, Inc.......................................C.I.O......................................Thomas C. Kelly
Michael Foods, Inc. ...........................V.P. - Human Resources.............................Ronald W. Bergman*
Michael Foods, Inc. - Distribution..................V.P. Distribution....................................James Mohr*
Michael Foods, Inc. - Sales....................E.V.P. Michael Foods Sales.............................Dean Sprinkle*
MICHAEL FOODS, INC. - SALES..................V.P. U.S. BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT............................PRES COLWELL
MICHAEL FOODS, INC. - SALES.........................V.P. FIELD SALES......................................RICH LICH
MICHAEL FOODS, INC. - SALES.........................V.P. FIELD SALES.....................................TOM NYKAMP
MICHAEL FOODS, INC. - SALES.........................V.P. FIELD SALES....................................MIKE LAWSON
MICHAEL FOODS, INC. - SALES.....................V.P. NATIONAL ACCOUNTS............................ DEBORAH NAISMITH
M.G. Waldbaum Co.......................................V.P. R&D...............................Hershell R. Ball, Jr.
M.G. Waldbaum Co.........................................C.F.O......................................Bradley L. Cook
M.G. Waldbaum Co....................................V.P. Operations......................................Ken Neishi
M.G. Waldbaum Co....................................V.P. Procurement....................................Terry Baker
M.G. Waldbaum Co..................................V.P. Live Production....................................Tim Bebee
M.G. Waldbaum Co..............................V.P. Industrial/Export Sales.......................Thomas Rechsteiner
Northern Star Co.........................................C.F.O.........................................Max Hoffmann
Crystal Farms RDC.................................Vice President, Wisco............................Russell P. Roedl
Crystal Farms RDC........................................C.F.O..........................................James Grosh
Crystal Farms RDC......................................V.P. Sales....................................Jeffrey Thomas
Kohler Mix Specialties, Inc........................V.P. Administration..............................Craig V. Miller
Kohler Mix Specialties, Inc.............................President.....................................James Kohler*
Kohler Mix Specialties, Inc..........................V.P. Operations....................................Erich Fritz
Kohler Mix Specialties, Inc.....................V.P. Business Development..............................Mark Johnson
Papetti's Hygrade....................................V.P. Controller..................................Mark Westphal
Papetti's Hygrade.......................................President................................Arthur N. Papetti*
Papetti's Hygrade...............................Executive Vice President...............................A.J. Papetti
Papetti's Hygrade...............................Executive Vice President............................Stephen Papetti
Papetti's Hygrade.......................V.P. Regional Sales and National Accounts........................Vicky Wass
Papetti's Hygrade....................................V.P. Operations.................................Toby Catherman
Papetti's Hygrade.................................V.P. Industrial Sales................................John Brommer
</TABLE>

[FN]
*    two year level
</FN>

AS OF AUGUST 9, 1999