Consumer Demand Drives Growth and Innovation of SPLENDA(R) Sweetener Products

    FORT WASHINGTON, Pa., Aug. 7 /PRNewswire/ -- Since SPLENDA(R) No
 Calorie Sweetener was introduced in September 2000 and became the number
 one selling low-calorie sweetener in the U.S. in 2003, SPLENDA(R) Sweetener
 Products have become a staple in many consumers' pantries. In fact, one in
 every five households purchases SPLENDA(R) Sweetener Products. Using
 innovation to meet the wants and needs of consumers, the SPLENDA(R) Brand
 offers a full spectrum of reduced and no-calorie sweetening options
 available at food, drug and mass stores nationwide including SPLENDA(R) No
 Calorie Sweetener (Packets and Granular), SPLENDA(R) Sugar Blend and
 SPLENDA(R) Brown Sugar Blend, new SPLENDA(R) QUICK PACK(TM) No Calorie
 Sweetener Pouches for unsweetened drink mixes like Kool-Aid and, this fall,
 new SPLENDA(R) Flavor Blends for Coffee.
     With consumers taking greater interest in and responsibility for their
 health and that of loved ones, SPLENDA(R) Sweetener Products increasingly
 become an accessible and effective tool for consumers to reduce added sugar
 intake, one important step for better overall nutritional health, while
 still providing the sweet taste they desire.
     "As the world of consumer-packaged goods constantly evolves to meet
 consumer demands, the SPLENDA(R) Brand employs stringent quality control
 standards to offer a portfolio of unparalleled products heavily grounded in
 consumer research, insight and demand," said Debra A. Sandler, Worldwide
 President, McNeil Nutritionals, LLC. "This dedication to our customers is
 demonstrated by our continued marketplace growth and has propelled the
 SPLENDA(R) Brand to become the gold standard in sweeteners."
     Nearly half a million new households a month are choosing SPLENDA(R)
 Sweetener Products. The SPLENDA(R) Brand has also gained the loyalty and
 trust of chefs and healthcare professionals, who recognize the importance
 of making sound nutrition choices.
     "In my line of work, particularly in the field of pastry, I'm
 constantly assessing the functionality of ingredients. SPLENDA(R) delivers
 exceptional taste and maintains its form under high heat, while
 simultaneously reducing added calories from sugar. With the increasing
 demand for reduced-sugar diets, SPLENDA(R) is an ideal sweetener as it is
 easy to use in cooking, baking and beverages," said Bill Yosses, pastry
 chef in New York City.
     In addition, pediatric, diabetic and nutrition-based healthcare
 professionals have good reason to continue recommending SPLENDA(R)
 Sweetener Products to their patients as recent research provides the first
 clinical evidence that overweight children can help prevent additional
 weight gain by making small changes to their daily lifestyle.
     In the America On the Move(R) Family Study, which included 216 families
 with at least one overweight child, researchers looked at the impact of
 making two small, daily lifestyle modifications - eliminating 100 calories
 in part by replacing dietary sugar with SPLENDA(R) No Calorie Sweetener and
 adding 2,000 steps (just one extra mile). The study results showed that
 over six months, significantly more overweight kids who made the two
 changes prevented excess weight gain than those who made no specific
 lifestyle modifications (67% vs. 53%).
     "With children, a practical, realistic and fun approach to weight
 management offers the best potential for realizing both short-term and
 life- long success," said Hope Warshaw, MMSc, R.D., registered dietitian
 and author of What to Eat When You're Eating Out (2006). "Combining simple
 changes to food choices and eating habits with a small increase in physical
 activity can build confidence in a child and family who would otherwise be
 too overwhelmed to adhere to a weight maintenance program. The results of
 this study demonstrate the effectiveness of using existing tools, like
 products sweetened with SPLENDA(R) Brand Sweetener, to help children and
 families make these simple changes towards achieving a key nutrition goal
 of consuming less added sugars."
     SPLENDA(R) Sweetener Products have been used safely by millions of
 consumers in all population groups worldwide, including pregnant women,
 children and individuals with diabetes. The safety of sucralose, the
 sweetening ingredient in all SPLENDA(R) Sweetener Products, is well
 documented with more than 100 scientific studies conducted during a 20-year
 period. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration first approved the use of
 sucralose as a nonnutritive sweetener in 1998 and expanded this approval in
 1999. In addition, sucralose is permitted for use in over 80 countries to
 date and has never been required to carry any safety information or warning
 statements on its labeling.
     About SPLENDA(R) Brand Sweetener
     SPLENDA(R) Sweetener Products are marketed by McNeil Nutritionals, LLC.
 SPLENDA(R) Brand Sweetener is used in more than 4,000 products of major
 food brands worldwide. You can find out more about SPLENDA(R) Sweetener
 Products or get recipes and tips on cooking and baking with the brand by
 logging on to www.splenda.com or call 1-800-7-SPLENDA (1-800-777-5363).
     About McNeil Nutritionals
     McNeil Nutritionals, LLC, is a marketer of innovative nutritional
 products. The company's mission is to give people the ability to actively
 manage their own health. McNeil Nutritionals, LLC, markets SPLENDA(R) No
 Calorie Sweetener, SPLENDA(R) Sugar Blend, SPLENDA(R) Brown Sugar Blend,
 VIACTIV(R) Calcium Soft Chews, VIACTIV(R) Multi-Vitamin Soft Chews,
 LACTAID(R) Milk and Dietary Supplements, and BENECOL(R) Spreads. McNeil
 Nutritionals, LLC, is headquartered in Fort Washington, PA.
     KOOL-AID is a registered trademark of KF Holdings.
 
     Contacts:
     Joanna Young                         Sherri Satalof
     RF Binder Partners                   McNeil Nutritionals, LLC
     212.994.7556                         215.273.7449
     joanna.young@rfbinder.com            ssatalof@mcnus.jnj.com
 
 

SOURCE McNeil Nutritionals, LLC