New, All-Natural SUN CRYSTALS(R) Sweetener With Stevia now Available

SUN CRYSTALS(R) All-Natural Sweetener is First to Combine Stevia and Pure Cane Sugar for a Delicious Low-Calorie, Unquestionably Natural Sweetness

FORT WASHINGTON, Pa., March 16 /PRNewswire/ -- In its continued commitment to provide nutrition-conscious consumers with products that contribute to a healthy diet, McNeil Nutritionals, LLC, is adding a new low-calorie way to sweeten foods and beverages with 100%-natural ingredients - SUN CRYSTALS(R) All-Natural Sweetener. New SUN CRYSTALS(R) All-Natural Sweetener is the only brand to blend two simple ingredients - naturally sweet stevia and pure cane sugar.

"We are extremely excited to launch SUN CRYSTALS(R) All-Natural Sweetener," said Debra Sandler, Worldwide President, McNeil Nutritionals, LLC. "What's more, because SUN CRYSTALS(R) All-Natural Sweetener is made from two of nature's sweetest plants -- stevia and sugar cane - it delivers a natural sweet taste that consumers love, with the familiar texture of sugar, but without all the extra calories."

Responding to consumers' demand for a 100 percent natural sweetener that is low in calories, SUN CRYSTALS(R) All-Natural Sweetener uses an extract made from the sweetest, best-tasting part of the stevia plant. Cultivated primarily in Paraguay, Brazil, Japan and China, stevia has been used around the world for centuries as nature's solution to adding sweetness to food and beverages and is now being embraced in the United States. SUN CRYSTALS(R) All-Natural Sweetener naturally contains just five calories per packet, and just one packet has the same sweetness as two teaspoons of sugar. Additionally, SUN CRYSTALS(R) All-Natural Sweetener is suitable for the whole family, including people with diabetes.

With the launch of SUN CRYSTALS(R) All-Natural Sweetener, McNeil Nutritionals, LLC, is actively contributing to environmental sustainability efforts by using 100% recycled paper fiber, with a minimum of 35% post-consumer content, in the manufacture of brand packaging. Further, the SUN CRYSTALS(R) Brand is making a commitment to harness the power of the sun to sustain local communities now and in the future. To that end, McNeil Nutritionals, LLC, has entered into an alliance with 1% For The Planet(R) through which one percent of the SUN CRYSTALS(R) Brand's annual sales will be donated to help a U.S. based environmental organization. This year, the SUN CRYSTALS(R) Brand will donate one percent of its sales to the American Solar Energy Society, a nonprofit organization dedicated to increasing the use of solar energy, energy efficiency, and other sustainable technologies in the U.S.

SUN CRYSTALS(R) All-Natural Sweetener will begin its roll out at Walmart Supercenters and Neighborhood Markets across the country in March 2009, and will be available nationwide at additional retailers soon thereafter. Consumers will also have the opportunity to purchase the product online at www.suncrystals.com this spring. SUN CRYSTALS(R) All-Natural Sweetener will be available in 50- and 100-count boxes.

About SUN CRYSTALS(R) All-Natural Sweetener

SUN CRYSTALS(R) All-Natural Sweetener is a combination of two all natural ingredients: naturally sweet stevia and pure cane sugar. It is the unique blend of the two that delivers the exceptional taste of SUN CRYSTALS(R) All-Natural Sweetener with only five calories per packet. Stevia, which has been used around the world for centuries as nature's solution to adding sweetness to food and beverages, is blended with pure cane sugar, giving SUN CRYSTALS(R) a natural sweet taste that people love, with the texture of sugar, but without all the added calories. The SUN CRYSTALS(R) Brand promises to use only 100 percent natural ingredients. To learn more about SUN CRYSTALS(R) All-Natural Sweetener, visit www.suncrystals.com or call 1-888-962-5357.

About McNeil Nutritionals

McNeil Nutritionals, LLC, is a global 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) Sweetener Products, VIACTIV(R) Dietary Supplements, LACTAID(R) Milk and Dietary Supplements, BENECOL(R) Products, and now new, SUN CRYSTALS(R) All-Natural Sweetener. McNeil Nutritionals, LLC is headquartered in Fort Washington, PA.

About 1% for the Planet(R)

1% for the Planet(R) is an alliance of businesses committed to donating 1% of their sales directly to non-profit organizations focused on sustainability. Today 1% membership includes over 1100 member companies in 37 countries. An estimated $42 million in critically needed funds has been channeled to more than 1,600 non-profits around the world.

SOURCE McNeil Nutritionals, LLC

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