Mother Parkers Tea & Coffee Champions Independent Single-serve Coffee

Coffee Industry Leader Mother Parkers Agrees with TreeHouse Foods Actions to Stop a Keurig® Monopoly

MISSISSAUGUA, ON, Feb. 20, 2014 /PRNewswire/ - Mother Parkers Tea & Coffee, the makers of RealCup™ single-serve capsules, agrees with TreeHouse Foods that the needs of consumers are best served by free and open competition.

On Wednesday, February 12, 2014, TreeHouse Foods filed suit against Keurig Inc. and Green Mountain Coffee Roasters Inc., alleging that they engaged in anti-competitive acts to unlawfully maintain their monopoly over the cups used in single-serve brewers.

Since 2012, when Keurig's® K-Cup® patents expired independent manufacturers, through both their financial investment and innovation, have helped to expand the single-serve coffee category on the basis of open and fair competition. "The patents have expired; consumers have declared that they want choice," said Bill VandenBygaart, Vice President of Business Development at Mother Parkers. "In our opinion, this action by Keurig as well as the pattern of anticompetitive activities described in the Complaint will continue to hurt the category."

Mother Parkers believes that open competition leads to product innovation, improved quality and great consumer value. "Coffee drinkers should decide which coffee they will brew, not Keurig® or Green Mountain Coffee Roasters®," said VandenBygaart. "We support efforts to keep the single-serve business open to competition and believe that competition will deliver a better cup of coffee or tea."

About Mother Parkers Tea & Coffee and RealCup™ brand single-serve capsules:

RealCup™ capsules are compatible for use with *Keurig® K-Cup® single-serve brewers. RealCup™ single-serve capsules are manufactured for Mother Parkers Tea & Coffee, one of the largest coffee and tea manufacturers in North America. The company combines state-of-the-art technology and new product innovation with more than 100 years of quality and service excellence to deliver an exceptional beverage experience in mainstream and specialty coffee, tea, and complementary beverages.

*RealCup™ products and Mother Parkers Tea & Coffee are not affiliated with K-Cup® or Keurig Inc. K-Cup® and Keurig® are registered trademarks of Keurig Inc.

SOURCE RealCup(TM)