EXHIBIT 12.1



SARA LEE CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES

Computation of Ratio of Earnings to Fixed Charges



(in millions, except ratios)



|                                                                                                               |  |                      |     |     |                   |   |     |  
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |  | -------------------- | --- | --- | ----------------- | - | --- | -
|                                                                                                               |  | Thirteen Weeks Ended |    
|                                                                                                               |  | October 2,2004       |     |     | September 27,2003 |  
|Fixed charges:                                                                                                 |  |                      |     |     |                   |   |     |  
|Interest expense                                                                                               |  | $                    | 68  |     |                   | $ | 70  |  
|Interest portion of rental expense                                                                             |  |                      | 17  |     |                   |   | 16  |  
|                                                                                                               |  |                      |     |     |                   |   |     |  
|Total fixed charges before capitalized interest and preference security dividends of consolidated subsidiaries |  |                      | 85  |     |                   |   | 86  |  
|Capitalized interest                                                                                           |  |                      | 3   |     |                   |   | 2   |  
|                                                                                                               |  |                      |     |     |                   |   |     |  
|Total fixed charges                                                                                            |  | $                    | 88  |     |                   | $ | 88  |  
|                                                                                                               |  |                      |     |     |                   |   |     |  
|Earnings available for fixed charges:                                                                          |  |                      |     |     |                   |   |     |  
|Income before income taxes                                                                                     |  | $                    | 441 | (1) |                   | $ | 280 |  
|Less undistributed (loss) income in minority-owned companies                                                   |  |                      | 1   |     |                   |   | (1  | )
|Add minority interest in majority-owned subsidiaries                                                           |  |                      | 2   |     |                   |   | 2   |  
|Add amortization of capitalized interest                                                                       |  |                      | 4   |     |                   |   | 6   |  
|Add fixed charges before capitalized interest and preference security dividends of consolidated subsidiaries   |  |                      | 85  |     |                   |   | 86  |  
|                                                                                                               |  |                      |     |     |                   |   |     |  
|Total earnings available for fixed charges                                                                     |  | $                    | 533 |     |                   | $ | 373 |  
|                                                                                                               |  |                      |     |     |                   |   |     |  
|Ratio of earnings to fixed charges                                                                             |  |                      | 6.1 |     |                   |   | 4.2 |  
|                                                                                                               |  |                      |     |     |                   |   |     |  



|(1) | During the first three months of fiscal 2005, the corporation recognized $117 million of
contingent sale proceeds from the disposition of its European cut tobacco business in 1999.
|--- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



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