Mars to launch CocoaVia(TM)

15/09/05 With heart disease remaining the nation's number one killer, Americans increasingly are looking for options to improve their heart health. Now there's a new product hitting store shelves that will allow them to satisfy their passion for chocolate while being good to their heart.

CocoaVia(TM) is a revolutionary new line of heart-healthy snacks that combines real chocolate pleasure with ingredients formulated to promote a healthy heart. Ingredients in CocoaVia(TM) can significantly reduce LDL or "bad" cholesterol levels and promote healthy circulation to maintain heart health.

Created after more than a decade of research, CocoaVia(TM) is the only product that contains a patented blend of heart-healthy cocoa flavanols and cholesterol-lowering plant sterols from soy. The new line of snacks also is fortified with calcium and a mix of heart-healthy nutrients including folic acid, vitamins B-6, B-12, C and E. CocoaVia(TM) is made by Mars Nutrition for Health & Well-Being, a new division of Mars, Incorporated, makers of some of the world's best-loved, great-tasting chocolate brands.

Mars first introduced CocoaVia(TM) granola-based snack bars nearly two years ago and sold the product exclusively on the Internet. Now a full line of CocoaVia(TM) products -- including new chocolate bars (original, crispy and blueberry & almond) and chocolate-covered almonds -- will be available at retail beginning in October. Pre-orders can be made online at http://www.cocoavia.com until the product reaches national distribution.

Mars is the global leader in cocoa science, collaborating with researchers at leading universities like Harvard and the University of California-Davis to explore the health benefits of cocoa flavanols -- the powerhouse compounds found naturally in cocoa beans that are similar to those found in red wine and green tea. Scientists have been encouraged by the growing number of independent studies that indicate cocoa flavanols may help influence factors associated with clotting and promote a healthy blood flow. Other studies suggest that cocoa flavanols can improve the health of blood vessels and reduce the oxidation of LDL cholesterol that can lead to clogged arteries.

CocoaVia(TM) is the first product to be launched under the new business unit, Mars Nutrition for Health & Well-Being. The new division is charged with developing new foods, snacks, beverages and lifestyle support to better serve the nutritional well-being needs of the consumer.

While flavanols are found naturally in cocoa beans, traditional cocoa processing often destroys many of these potentially heart-healthy compounds.

Each serving of CocoaVia(TM) contains at least 100 milligrams of naturally occurring cocoa flavanols. And since each serving is packed with the heart- healthy flavanols, you can eat a relatively small portion and still reap the benefits. That means less fat and fewer calories compared to a regular, larger-sized chocolate bar. A 0.78-ounce CocoaVia(TM) Original Chocolate Bar contains 100 calories, while a serving of the CocoaVia(TM) Chocolate-Covered Almonds contains 140 calories.

Research conducted at the University of California-Davis and reported at the American Heart Association meeting this past November found that two servings of CocoaVia(TM) snack bars significantly lowered total and LDL cholesterol levels, without impacting HDL or "good" cholesterol. Each snack bar contains 1.5 grams of natural plant sterols from soy.

Including natural plant sterols from soy in the diet has been recommended by the American Heart Association and the National Cholesterol Education Program as one lifestyle change that can lower cholesterol levels significantly. The Food and Drug Administration approved a health claim based on the evidence that natural plant sterols may help reduce heart disease risk by lowering cholesterol.

The brand name "CocoaVia(TM)" was derived from the vision that a new and exciting way to good health is through flavanol-rich cocoa.

Mars Nutrition for Health & Well-Being, a new division of Mars North America, will develop and launch new foods, snacks, beverages and lifestyle support to better serve the nutritional and well-being needs of the consumer. The mission of the division is to be a trusted partner in healthy lifestyles, enabling consumers to look, perform and feel their best every day. Mars Nutrition for Health & Well-Being, launched in June 2004, is based in Hackettstown, NJ.

http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/09-14-2005/0004107212&EDATE=