New Partnership Bolsters Reliv's Access to Plant Biotech Research

CHESTERFIELD, Mo.,  Aug. 23, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Reliv International, Inc. (NASDAQ:RELV), Soy Labs LLC and the Missouri Plant Science Center today announced a new joint research and development partnership that will give Reliv greater access to the latest soy and plant biotechnology research.

"The partnership offers Reliv the opportunity to collaborate with some of the nation's leading biotech researchers to develop new nutritional ingredients," said Dr. Carl W. Hastings, Reliv's chief scientific officer.

Reliv is a maker of nutritional supplements that promote optimal health.

Soy Labs focuses on delivering high-quality soy ingredients to the leading health supplement formulators and manufacturers. The Missouri Plant Science Center is a joint venture of the Missouri Technology Corp., the University of Missouri System and the city of Mexico, Mo., where Soy Labs is also based.

"This agreement is a great example of what was envisioned for the Missouri Plant Science Center," said U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt of Missouri. "I believe this relationship between Missouri's biotech scientists, farmers, and Reliv - a successful private-sector job creator - will help strengthen our state's biotech industry and encourage further economic development."

Through the Missouri Plant Science Center, Reliv will have access to top biotech researchers throughout the University of Missouri System.

In addition, Soy Labs offers Reliv collaboration opportunities with other highly respected research institutions, including the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, the University of Louisville and the University of California campuses in Berkeley and Davis.

While it may take some time for those relationships to result in new supplement ingredients, Soy Labs potentially offers Reliv more immediate possibilities.

"Soy Labs has already produced breakthroughs in soy ingredients that Reliv will consider for use in new products," Reliv's Hastings said.

Soy Labs will benefit also. "This partnership offers us a ready-made market for new ingredients we develop with Reliv, and opens a new sales channel for our existing ingredients," said Ryan Schmidt, president of Soy Labs.

He added, "This is a first step toward the Missouri Plant Science Center's goal to strengthen the state's biotechnology industry, create jobs and improve Missouri's global economic competitiveness."

Soy Labs is a seven-year-old company that earlier this year moved from California to Missouri to become managing tenant of the Missouri Plant Science Center. Soy Labs has received research funding from the National Institutes of Health, the U.S. Department of Defense, the American Institute for Cancer Research, the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council and other organizations.

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About Reliv International, Inc.

Reliv International, Inc. is a direct selling company that develops, manufactures and markets nutritional products that promote optimal health. Independent distributors sell Reliv products in 15 countries. The company's charitable foundation, the Reliv Kalogris Foundation, combats hunger around the world by providing free nutritional supplements to more than 42,000 people every day. Learn more about Reliv at www.reliv.com.  

About Soy Labs LLC

Soy Labs is the premier soy-based ingredient supplier to the nutrition industry.  The company spearheads research and develops proprietary, soy peptides, ingredients, and formulaic compounds for inclusion in nutritional supplements, cosmeceuticals, soyfoods, functional foods and beverages.  For more information about the company and its products, visit the web site at www.soylabs.com

About the Missouri Plant Science Center

The Missouri Plant Science Center is a shared-use facility where researchers work alongside business and industry experts in a multi-disciplinary environment. The center facilitates the collaboration between scientific and entrepreneurial minds to turn the latest research innovations into functional real-world applications and consumer goods.

Forward-looking statements

Statements made in this news release that are not historical facts are "forward-looking" statements (as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995) that involve risks and uncertainties and are subject to change at any time. These forward-looking statements may include, but are not limited to, statements containing words such as "may," "should," "could," "would," "expect," "plan," "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "predict," "potential," "continue" or similar expressions. Factors that could cause actual results to differ are identified in the public filings made by Reliv with the Securities and Exchange Commission.  More information on factors that could affect Reliv's business and financial results are included in its public filings made with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, copies of which are available on the Company's web site, www.reliv.com.

SOURCE Reliv International, Inc.