October 12, 2009 : Get ready for a sweeter Australian summer

Pure Via^® launches a natural sweetener choice minus the kilojoule guilt

Sydney, Australia; 12th October 2009: As the summer starts to sizzle Australians have another way to keep the kilos off, with the launch of Australia’s first reduced-kilojoule, natural sweetener blend made with Stevia plant extracts (steviol glycosides), Pure Via^® .

Pure Via^® is a natural sweetener blend made with Stevia plant extracts and is 90 percent lower in kilojoules¹ than normal sugar, which is a savings of up to 64 kilojoules per teaspoon.

Leading nutritionist and author Dr. Joanna McMillan Price said this is good news for the many Australians who are battling the bulge.

“Reducing daily kilojoule intake is the only way to tackle overweight and obesity. With 1 in 6 Australians considered obese, the introduction of a reduced-kilojoule, naturally derived sweetener like Pure Via^® is certainly a step in the right direction,” said Dr McMillan Price.

“Pure Via^® allows you to sweeten foods such as natural yoghurt and cereals without the guilt. Using Pure Via^® in a cup of coffee instead of a teaspoon of normal sugar will save 64 kilojoules every time - it is the perfect companion for the waistline as we head into summer,” said Dr McMillan Price.

However, Dr McMillan Price advises that portion control and exercise are also essential to achieving positive weight loss and management.

“Substantial kilos could be lost if Australians use Pure Via^® in their food and beverages but this needs to combined with a balanced diet and regular physical activity,” she said.

PureVia’s main sweetness comes from a purified extract of the Stevia plant known as Steviol Glycosides, with high Rebaudioside A (Reb A). After the Stevia leaves are milled, a tea-like brewing method is used to unlock the best tasting extracts of the plant, which is then purified to produce a natural extract that is 200 times sweeter than sugar.

This purified extract is then blended with erythritol, a sugar alcohol found in fruits such as grapes and melons; isomaltulose, a natural sugar found in small amounts in honey and sugar cane juice; cellulose powder, and flavours to create a sweetener with a clean, crisp taste.

The Whole Earth Sweetener Company LLC (WESCo), makers of Pure Via^®, launched the product in response to Australians demand for a naturally sweet, reduced kilojoule alternative to sugar. Rachel Aldridge, General Manager WESCo Asia Pacific, believes Pure Via^® is a perfect example of combining both nature and science to provide an ideal product to meet growing consumer demands towards a healthier lifestyle².

“Stevia has been used as a sweetener for over 200 years; however the taste has not been comparable to sugar in the past. It has taken us nearly four years of research and development to produce a natural sweetener blend that can replace sugar in your favourite beverages but saves on kilojoules.

“Australians who are looking for a naturally sweet way to keep a healthy, balanced diet without having to compromise in taste will love Pure Via^® ,” said Ms Aldridge.

Pure Via^® will launch with portion controlled sachets that are ideal to sweeten hot and cold drinks and sprinkle on fruit, yoghurt and cereals.

Available in two teaspoon sachets for RRP$3.99 (40 sachet pack) and RRP$6.99 (80 sachet pack), Pure Via^® will be stocked in the sugar aisle at leading supermarkets nationally. Pure Via^® is gluten-free and does not contain wheat, barley, rye or oats.

For further information please visit www.purevia.com.

For further information and interviews please contact Anna Salter at Edelman on 02 9291 3354 or Anna.Salter@edelman.com

About Whole Earth Sweetener Company LLC

Whole Earth Sweetener Company is committed to providing naturally reduced kilojoule alternatives to sugar allowing people to maintain a healthy balanced diet. Formed in 2006, the company continues to develop a vertically integrated business that will bring products that are perfectly sweet and perfectly natural from the farm to consumers.

About Dr. Joanna McMillan Price

Joanna McMillan Price is a registered nutritionist and accredited practising dietitian with a PhD in nutritional science from the University of Sydney. She is also a trained fitness leader and taught group exercise classes for almost 15 years. She is passionate about quality food, loves to eat and loves to cook, and firmly believes that these qualities lie at the heart of healthy living and achieving the best possible diet.

Consulting to Pure Via^® over the next 12 months as a third party nutritionist, Joanna will provide hints and tips on how to incorporate Pure Via^® into your everyday diet.

A popular media spokesperson, Joanna is the resident nutrition expert for Today on the Nine Network. She writes a weekly column in the Sydney Morning Herald’s Sunday Life magazine. Joanna has authored or co-authored a number of books including the internationally published The Low GI Diet and The Low GI Diet Cookbook and Star Foods, co-authored with Judy Davie. Her most recent book Inner Health Outer Beauty published this year is a must-have guide for all women to look and feel their absolute best.

About PureCircle

The Stevia plant has been used as a natural sweetener for over two hundred years by the native Guarani people of Brazil and Paraguay. A member of the Chrysanthemum family, the sweetness in Stevia can be attributed to two components: Stevioside and Rebaudioside A (Reb A). These natural sweeteners are more than 200 times sweeter than sugar.

Note to editors: Pure Via^® is a trademark of Whole Earth Sweetener Company LLC and PepsiCo, Inc.

1. One sachet of Pure Via^® (13.1 kilojoules) sweetens like two teaspoons of sugar (140 kilojoules)
2. Edited by David W. Marshall, 1995, Table 8.3: Critical food trends impacting on new product development, Food Choice and the consumer