Press Release: 14 May 2009

British Retail Consortium and XL Insurance form strategic alliance

London, UK 14 May - The British Retail Consortium (BRC) and XL Insurance, the global insurance operations of XL Capital Ltd (NYSE: XL), today announced their strategic alliance offering Product Contamination Insurance to BRC Certificated Suppliers.

Under the agreement XL Insurance will be offering Product Contamination Insurance as a preferred supplier to producers certificated under the BRC Global Standards scheme. The insurance covers costs associated with a product recall, ranging from withdrawal expenses to the policyholder's loss of profit. It places an emphasis on risk prevention and emergency response. Included in the premium is a free initial consultation with crisis managers as well as an allocation for risk improvement work such as recall and crisis planning. In the event of a recall the insured has access via a 24-hour hotline to UK-based crisis consultants Razor and other strategic partners, who between them have expertise in areas such as recall strategy development, crisis stakeholder communications, product security, laboratory services and regulatory advice.

Ed Mitchell, Global Product Recall Manager at XL Insurance, said: "We are pleased to have been selected as a preferred supplier to the BRC Global Standards scheme. As the food and drink industry is experiencing increased regulatory scrutiny as well as public interest in food safety, companies are not only concerned about immediate financial impact, but also about protecting their brand and reputation.

"XL Insurance recognises that being prepared and implementing the right recall and crisis management system will ensure companies protect their reputation as well as their bottom line."

Dr Geoff Spriegel, Director of Global Standards and Technical Services, from the BRC commented: "XL Insurance's expertise in this field makes them an ideal partner to offer Product Contamination Insurance to Global Standards scheme our members. From today companies that are BRC certificated can benefit from XL Insurance's expertise and protect themselves against the costs of product recalls. This insurance also gives BRC Certificated Suppliers access to an exclusive network of risk and crisis management consultants."

Notes to Editors

About the British Retail Consortium (BRC)

The British Retail Consortium is the lead trade association representing the whole range of retailers, from the large multiples and department stores through to independents, selling a wide selection of products through centre of town, rural and virtual stores.

About the BRC's Global Standards

The BRC Global Standards are part of a leading global safety and quality certification program used throughout the world by over 14,000 certificated suppliers in over 100 countries through a network of over 80 accredited and BRC recognised Certification Bodies. The BRC Global Standards are widely used by suppliers to global retail industries in order to facilitate the standardisation of quality, safety, operational criteria and manufacturers' fulfilment of legal obligations and help provide protection to the consumer.

About XL Insurance

"XL Insurance" is the global brand used by member insurers of the XL Capital Ltd (NYSE: XL) group of companies. More information about XL Insurance and its products are available at www.xlinsurance.com. Through its operating subsidiaries, XL Capital is a leading provider of global insurance and reinsurance coverage and services to industrial, commercial and professional service firms, insurance companies, and other enterprises on a worldwide basis. More information about XL Capital Ltd is available at www.xlcapital.com.

About Razor

Razor is a highly regarded business communications consultancy specialising in crisis, risk and issues management. Razor works with clients all over Europe with a particular market expertise in the Food & Drink industry. Razor has alliance partnerships with other strategic agencies covering food scientific, security, legal and audit. They also work with clients in industrial manufacturing, engineering, commercial property, logistics, retail, consumer goods and health, among other private and public sector markets. More information about Razor is available at www.razor-pr.com.