Cognis Nutrition & Health, the world’s leading supplier of natural phytosterols, is pleased to announce that George Weston Bakeries, Inc. is launching new breads containing Heart Choice® natural plant sterols scientifically proven to lower cholesterol and reduce the risks associated with heart disease. The breads are making their debut nationwide this month under the widely popular Arnold® and Brownberry® brands. 
New Grains & More™ Double Oat Hearty Oatmeal Bread was formulated to promote heart health, and contains 0.4 grams of Cognis’ Heart Choice plant sterols. When combined with a healthy diet and exercise, Double Oat Bread may help lower cholesterol by 15%. Cognis’ Heart Choice® logo is prominently displayed on the front package so consumers know that their bread contains a superior source of heart healthy plant sterols.
“Our goal is to deliver valuable health benefits without compromising taste and Cognis helped us do just that with its naturally-sourced Heart Choice® plant sterols,” said Jennifer Hartley, Business Director, Arnold® & Brownberry® Brands. “This launch truly redefines the phrase, ‘the best thing since sliced bread!’ In quantitative testing, we found that reducing cholesterol is one of the top five health benefits consumers prefer when purchasing bread. The challenge was to then find a health ingredient supplier that could meet our standards for quality, safety and technical support. Cognis has proven to be an ideal partner from conception to product launch.” Ms. Hartley explained that the company chose to include the Heart Choice® logo on the package because it “enables stronger communication of the sterol content and helps differentiate the product on the store shelf.”
The National Cholesterol Education Program recommends 2 grams of plant sterols per day to lower LDL cholesterol. Laura Troha, Marketing Manager, Cognis Nutrition & Health, pointed out that Americans still do not consume enough foods containing plant sterols, and despite the ongoing educational programs, cardiovascular disease remains the #1 cause of death in the US. “We are delighted to be working with a leading, innovative company like George Weston Bakeries to help raise awareness so consumers better understand how plant sterols can serve an important role in managing their heart health. Cognis will be supporting George Weston Bakeries as they roll out a national consumer campaign including print and broadcast advertising, in-store promotions and point-of-purchase sales.”
About Cognis’ Heart Health Ingredients:
Cognis will showcase its heart health ingredients at this year’s SupplySide West trade show in Las Vegas on Oct. 23 and 24, featuring food and beverage samples including Heart Choice® natural phytosterols, Omevital™ omega-3 fatty acids, and Covitol® natural vitamin E. All of the nutritional ingredients supplied by Cognis are naturally sourced from renewable resources that contribute to environmental sustainability.
Natural phytosterols are found in vegetables, fruits, vegetable oils, legumes, nuts, and grains. Studies show that LDL cholesterol can be reduced up to 15 percent through daily use of phytosterols. Heart Choice® ingredients meet the requirements of the unqualified FDA-approved health claim for phytosterols and reduced risk of coronary heart disease. With the industry’s broadest portfolio of all natural, kosher, non-GM/IP certified phytosterols, Cognis’ product line is ideal for a variety of functional food applications. Cognis has been producing sterols longer than any other manufacturer and its production facilities in the United States, Germany and France provide the industry’s largest capacity of phytosterols.
Cognis offers co-branded consumer marketing support under the Heart Choice® brand (www.heart-choice.com), with extensive brand promotion in popular media outlets including WebMD.
For more information about Cognis’ heart health ingredients, visit www.cognis.com or in North America, please call 800.673.3702 to place an order, e-mail cognis.custserv@cognis.com, or fax 513.482.3576.
About Cognis:
Cognis (www.cognis.com) is a worldwide supplier of innovative specialty chemicals and nutritional ingredients, with a particular focus on the areas of wellness and sustainability. The company employs about 7,600 people, and it operates 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. Another main focus is on products for a number of other industries, such as coatings and inks, lubricants, as well as agriculture and mining.
Cognis is owned by private equity funds advised by Permira, GS Capital Partners, and SV Life Sciences. In 2007, Cognis recorded sales of about 3.52 billion euros and an Adjusted EBITDA (operating result) of 410 million euros.
About George Weston:
George Weston Limited (“Weston” or the “Company”) is a Canadian public company founded in 1882 and through its operating subsidiaries constitutes one of North America’s largest food processing and distribution groups. Weston has two reportable operating segments: Weston Foods and Loblaw Companies Limited (“Loblaw”). Weston Foods is primarily engaged in the baking and dairy industries within North America. The leading bakery company has brands including Arnold, Brownberry, Boboli, Thomas’ and Entenmann’s. Loblaw is Canada’s largest food distributor and a leading provider of general merchandise, drugstore and financial products and services.