-Selected in key Research and Testing category by leading industry magazine-

December 28, 2005, Malvern Penn.—Orafti Active Food Ingredients has announced that its proprietary enriched inulin ingredient Synergy 1® has been honored as Editors’ Choice in Nutritional Outlook Magazine’s 2005 Natural Products Awards.

“The Natural Product Awards are our way of recognizing the accomplishments of companies in the healthy and natural food and beverage markets, many of whom are among the most forward-looking and creative organizations in business today," Jim Wagner, Nutritional Outlook editor, said.

According to Kathy Niness, VP of Marketing at Orafti, “Synergy 1, like all of our industry-leading inulin and oligofructose ingredients, is a uniquely functional form of dietary fiber derived from chicory. In addition to the nutritional benefits traditionally associated with dietary fiber, such as moderation of glycemia, maintenance of good digestion and weight-control properties, its unique benefits extend to increased bone-building calcium absorption and a healthy prebiotic effect, meaning that it selectively nourishes healthful digestive bacteria for an additional boost to digestive health, function and immunity.”

An enriched form of inulin, Synergy 1 has been clinically proven to increase calcium absorption and enhance bone density at reduced use levels compared to competitive ingredients. Emerging clinical results indicate that the health benefits go even further. The SYNCAN project, an EU-sponsored study coordinated by ORAFTI, has examined people who had been treated for colon cancer or who had undergone removal of intestinal polyps (i.e., pre-cancerous lesions).

SYNCAN research has demonstrated that a combination of Synergy 1 and probiotic cultures can help to protect these patients against colon cancer.

“Orafti’s inulin and oligofructose ingredients are available in numerous formulas suited to a wide range of food, beverage and supplement applications,” Ms. Niness said. “They have already found use in some of the world’s most future-forward consumer products for purposes as diverse as reducing fat, sugar, carbs and calories -- as well as to add the ground-breaking functional-fiber benefits as discussed above.”

The world’s largest supplier of inulin and oligofructose and a leader in the fields of applications development, process technologies and nutritional research, Orafti offers food, beverage and nutraceutical manufacturers the broadest product lines available. Orafti operates in more than 70 countries worldwide. For more information, contact Orafti, 101 Lindenwood Drive, Malvern, PA 19355 or visit www.orafti.com.
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About ORAFTI Group

ORAFTI Group is a subsidiary of the Belgian agro-food group Raffinerie Tirlemontoise/ Tiense Suikerraffinaderij and is part of the ORAFTI/PALATINIT Ingredients Group of Südzucker (Germany)
ORAFTI Group produces Raftiline® (inulin) and Raftilose® (oligofructose), as well as Raftisweet® (fructose syrups), from chicory roots. ORAFTI Group's head office is in Tienen, Belgium and the company operates in more than 70 countries world wide, with production units in Oreye (Belgium), Wijchen (Netherlands) and Wijgmaal (Belgium). The ORAFTI Group also includes REMY INDUSTRIES, world leading producer of rice starches (Remyline®/ Remygel®), rice flours (Remyflo®) and rice proteins (Remypro®).

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For more business information contact:
ORAFTI
101 Lindenwood Drive
Malvern, PA 19355
www.orafti.com