Yoplait, one of the world's largest yogurt producers, and The Solae Company, a global leader in the research and application of soy protein, have joined forces to introduce a new Yoplait Solae(R) co-branded product that combines the health benefits of dairy and soy proteins in a "good for your body" spoonable yogurt.
 
The new product, Bioplait, contains Solae(R) brand soy protein and Yoplait fermented dairy know-how. It is being launched in France and is the result of months of research and development to provide the perfect blend of taste and nutrition. The product comes in three flavors (original, strawberry, and peach) and is available at virtually all major grocery retailers throughout France.

Yoplait is supporting the launch of Bioplait with a television and print advertising campaign, which features the Solae co-brand as a "great-tasting " and "good for your body" protein. Product packaging also underscores soy protein's role as a complete protein which can help maintain a healthy heart.

"The introduction of Bioplait addresses growing consumer demand for new healthy, nutritious and convenient foods to add to their daily diet," said Lucien Fa, Yoplait's president. "While yogurt is already acknowledged as a healthy food, incorporating the additional health benefits of Solae(R) soy protein will maximize consumer interest, especially since The Solae Company has cracked the code in providing a product that delivers on both taste and nutrition."

According to Tony Arnold, president and chief executive officer of The Solae Company, "We are delighted to partner with a global market leader like Yoplait. Bioplait is a perfect example of how the valuable consumer insights we gather through intensive market research and our relentless pursuit of taste and functional solutions for our customers combine to bring successful products to the marketplace."

Arnold said Bioplait joins a growing list of more than 40 co-branded products in the US and globally that currently utilize Solae(R) brand soy protein as a "trust mark" of great-tasting nutrition.

Both Fa and Arnold credit the launch of Bioplait to steadily increasing consumer recognition of the health benefits of soy protein. In the U.S. alone, 74% of Americans perceive soy protein as a healthy dietary choice. In France the number is similar. To help provide additional information on the health benefits of soy protein for consumers, both the U.S. and European governmental agencies have approved health claims in the past, linking the consumption of soy protein with lowering cholesterol, and are currently reviewing petitions for new health claims. In the U.S., The Food and Drug Administration is expected to make a decision in late spring on a qualified health claim linking soy protein consumption with a reduced risk of breast, prostate and gastrointestinal cancers.

About The Solae Company

A global leader in the research and application of soy protein, The Solae Company, based in St. Louis, Missouri, serves food and beverage manufacturers, dietary supplement developers, retailers and consumers in 100 countries worldwide including the United States and Canada, Europe and the Middle East, Latin America and the Asia/Pacific region. The company was formed through an alliance between Bunge Limited (BG) and DuPont (DD). For more than 30 years, The Solae Company has invested in fundamental research to understand the health benefits of soy protein to provide better ingredients for better living. Researchers at more than 180 leading universities and research institutions have use soy protein products produced by The Solae Company in hundreds of completed and ongoing soy studies. For more about the health benefits of soy protein, including additional research and resources, please visit www.thesolaecompany.com