Whole Foods 2007 Annual Report Download - page 46

40
Whole Foods Market, Inc.
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm on Internal Control over Financial Reporting
To the Board of Directors
Whole Foods Market, Inc.
We have audited Whole Foods Market, Inc.’s internal control over financial reporting as of September 30, 2007, based on
criteria established in Internal Control—Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the
Treadway Commission (the COSO criteria). Whole Foods Market, Inc.’s management is responsible for maintaining
effective internal control over financial reporting, and for its assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial
reporting included in the accompanying Management’s Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting. Our
responsibility is to express an opinion on the company’s internal control over financial reporting based on our audit.
We conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United
States). Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether effective
internal control over financial reporting was maintained in all material respects. Our audit included obtaining an
understanding of internal control over financial reporting, assessing the risk that a material weakness exists, testing and
evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of internal control based on the assessed risk, and performing such other
procedures as we considered necessary in the circumstances. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our
opinion.
A company’s internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the
reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with
generally accepted accounting principles. A company’s internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and
procedures that (1) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the
transactions and dispositions of the assets of the company; (2) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as
necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that
receipts and expenditures of the company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and
directors of the company; and (3) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized
acquisition, use, or disposition of the company’s assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.
Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also,
projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate
because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.
As indicated in the accompanying Management’s Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting, management’s
assessment of and conclusion on the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting did not include the internal
controls of Wild Oats Markets, Inc., which is included in the 2007 consolidated financial statements of Whole Foods Market,
Inc. and constituted 9% and 2% of total and net assets, respectively, as of September 30, 2007 and 2% and 2% of revenues
and net income, respectively, for the year then ended. Our audit of internal control over financial reporting of Whole Foods
Market, Inc. also did not include an evaluation of the internal control over financial reporting of Wild Oats Markets, Inc.
In our opinion, Whole Foods Market, Inc. maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial
reporting as of September 30, 2007, based on the COSO criteria.
We have also audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States),
the consolidated balance sheets of Whole Foods Market, Inc. as of September 24, 2006 and September 30, 2007, and the
related consolidated statements of operations, shareholders' equity and comprehensive income, and cash flows for each of the
three fiscal years in the period ended September 30, 2007 of Whole Foods Market, Inc. and our report dated November 27,
2007 expressed an unqualified opinion thereon.
/s/ Ernst & Young LLP
Austin, Texas
November 27, 2007