Roger Deromedi, CEO of Kraft Foods, is said to be on the mend and had planned to return to work May 10 after being diagnosed with a viral infection. Deromedi was hospitalized in late March with what was at the time an undiagnosed illness. According to local news reports, a series of medical tests determined that the infection was complicated by severe dehydration. He spent nearly 10 days in an undisclosed hospital beginning on March 27.

The Northfield Ill.-based food giant was temporarily under the control of Louis Camilleri, chairman of parent company Altria, formerly Philip Morris.

Deromedi became sole CEO of Kraft earlier this year, when a CEO partnership with Betsy Holden was dissolved. One of his first actions after taking full control of the company was to announce a plant closure and layoff plan that will eliminate more than 6,000 jobs.

Meanwhile restructuring costs related to those closings were blamed for a 33% drop in Kraft's first quarter profits for 2004, compared to the same quarter in 2003.