TONALIN® CLA, the #1 selling brand of CLA (conjugated linoleic acid),  was recognized with the “Supplement Ingredient Award” by Nutritional Outlook magazine for its science-based consumer awareness marketing programs.  Cognis Nutrition and Health was honored for its achievements based on “several factors, including innovation, market impact, and scope of investment.”

According to the magazine’s editors in their Nov./Dec. issue, “Weight management is emerging as a major health concern for nutritional product consumers.  Unfortunately, the science on many weight-loss ingredients is limited and the industry has been stung by exaggerated claims made by some unscrupulous marketers.  One company that is trying to change the status quo is award winner Cognis.”

Editors cited the TONALIN® CLA campaign which promoted the findings of a landmark study published last year in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (AJCN). “This award offers tremendous validation to Cognis and our customers who join us in taking a science-based approach to educating consumers about the health benefits of reducing fat, keeping it off, and maintaining lean muscle,” said Nina Likins, TONALIN® CLA Marketing Manager, Cognis Nutrition & Health.

The message is catching on with consumers, as evidenced by the significant growth in Cognis' Tonalin® CLA sales already this year building on increases in 2004 compared to 2003.

Ms. Likins explained that Cognis continues to make major investments in global marketing campaigns to support TONLIN® CLA customers.  A new national radio program advertising the health benefits of TONALIN® CLA is helping to drive sales.  “Millions of consumer impressions are being generated worldwide with Cognis’ radio campaign, customer co promotions, in-store displays, video news releases, media relations efforts and print advertising,” she said.

The basis for these programs is science, most notable the AJCN study which concluded that TONALIN® CLA reduces body fat mass in overweight, but otherwise healthy, adults by as much as nine percent.  The randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled study is the first to document the long-term safety and efficacy of CLA supplementation over a 12-month period without additional lifestyle or dietary restrictions.  This clinical trial is an ensuing study to previous animal and human trials that found CLA improves body composition by reducing fat and preserving lean muscle tissue.

Plans for more TONALIN® CLA consumer marketing and branding efforts are underway and will be announced shortly.  While the US is the dominant market for CLA, interest is growing worldwide.  Just last year a dairy company in Spain launched an orange juice-milk blend with TONALIN® CLA.  Dietary supplements with TONALIN® CLA were recently launched in Thailand and Hong Kong.

For additional information, contact Nina Likins at Nina.Likins@Cognis.com or 708-579-6197.

About TONALIN® CLA:

TONALIN® (www.TONALIN.com) is the original brand of CLA and is an exclusively licensed product of the Cognis Group.  CLA is a polyunsaturated, conjugated fatty acid that is a natural part of the human diet found primarily in meat and dairy products.  Cognis produces TONALIN® CLA through a proprietary process that converts linoleic acid from safflowers into CLA which provides the highest quality of CLA available.  TONALIN® CLA contains the lowest amount of non-naturally occurring isomers, a patent-protected attribute that provides dietary supplement and food manufacturers with the highest levels of ingredients known to be beneficial.  TONALIN® CLA has been self-affirmed as Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) by a panel of independent experts.  Cognis now offers the food industry one of the most extensive lines of CLA ingredients available for a broad range of approved food applications.

For information in North America about TONALIN® brand CLA, please call 800.673.3702 to place an order, e-mail cognis.custserv@cognis-us.com, or fax 513.482.3576. For information in Europe, call +49.211.7940.9692, e-mail nutrition-and-health-europe@cognis.com, or fax +49.211.798.2390. For information in Asia Pacific, call +61.3.9584.4588, e-mail nutrition-and-health-asia@cognis.com, or fax +61.3.9584.8348.

About Cognis

Cognis (www.Cognis.com) is a worldwide supplier of innovative specialty chemicals and nutritional ingredients. It employs 8,100 people, and has production sites and service centers in 30 countries. Cognis has dedicated its activities to a high level of sustainability and delivers natural source raw materials and ingredients for food, nutrition and healthcare markets, and the cosmetics, detergents and  cleaners industries. Additionally, Cognis provides solutions for a number of other industries, such as  coatings and inks, lubricants, textiles and plastics, as well as agriculture and mining.                                              

Cognis is owned by private equity funds advised by Permira, GS Capital Partners, and Schroder Ventures Life Sciences. In 2003, Cognis recorded sales of 2.95 billion euros and an Adjusted EBITDA (earnings before interest, income taxes, depreciation, amortization and exceptional items) of 312 million euros.
                                     
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Caron Blitz
BLITZ + Associates, Inc.
847/945-0101 - voice
847/945-0606 - fax
prblitz@aol.com