Another mark of quality introduced by Indena

Milan, August 29th, 2006 - Indena S.p.A., world leader in the identification, development and production of active principles derived from plants announces the filing of a new logo for its signature product Mirtoselect®.

Commenting on the news, Christian Artaria Marketing Director of Indena noted that: "It was Indena which developed the bilberry extract containing 36% anthocyanins, also known as anthocyanosides, exclusively extracted from the Vaccinium myrtillus fruit. For this reason Mirtoselect® is already a well-known brand and many of our customers are already displaying it in their labels as a sign of quality. The new logo will make the product more distinctive and appealing and is aimed to be a clear sign of assurance of the perfect consistency and quality of our product”.

Prices of wild fresh bilberry fruits, specifically of Vaccinium myrtillus, have doubled if compared to the 2004 harvest. This is due to a particularly hot and dry season, an increased demand from the food industry and growing consumer interest in the beneficial properties of these berries.

“In markets where uncontrollable natural forces have made prices skyrocket, there is the unfortunate risk of adulteration becoming more widespread. We can not change the market price of the fruit, but we have given our customers a validated tool to understand what they are buying and the new Mirtoselect® logo will be perceived as the ultimate seal of Indena quality”, says Christian Artaria.

Last year, Indena validated an HPLC method that allows the identification and the direct quantification of all the bilberry anthocyanins both in plant material and in extracts. This method is able to identify unequivocally the botanical raw materials used for manufacturing and evaluating the composition of the extracts, making it possible to detect anthocyanin extracts produced from different plant materials and thus verify their consistency.
To learn more about the logo campaign visit www.mirtoselect.com

COMPANY PROFILE:
Indena is the world's leading company dedicated to the identification, development and production of active principles derived from plants, for use in the pharmaceutical, health food and cosmetics industries. Indena, a privately owned Italian company, reported 170 million Euro in consolidated turnover in 2005, mostly generated abroad. The key to Indena's success is its research, covering: the screening of medicinal plants for their pharmacological benefits; the identification of new active principles; and the development of extraction and purification systems at the cutting-edge of industrial application. Backed up by over 80 years of botanical experience, the phyto-chemical research is carried out in Indena's own Settala Research Center, near Milan. Indena also co-operates with the world's most prestigious universities and private research institutions in the biological assessment of safety and effectiveness up to clinical phase I. The company, with around 700 employees, including 10% dedicated to full-time research, manages cultivation, manufacturing, and distribution operations in more than 40 countries throughout the world. The Company's experts communicate and interact constantly with the major international regulatory authorities such as WHO, EMEA, and ESCOP, and work with all the main pharmacopoeias.

Further Information on Indena:
www.indena.com