Martek Announces Agreement with Mengniu Dairy Company Limited in China

Mengniu Future Star Kid Milk with life'sDHA is now available in three varieties at major retailers across China and features the life'sDHA logo on the product packaging and in related marketing, advertising and promotional materials.

5 May 2010 --- DHA omega-3 innovator and maker of the life'sDHA brand, Martek Biosciences Corporation announced that it has signed a five-year agreement with leading Chinese dairy, Mengniu Dairy Company Limited, for the use of Martek's life'sDHA in Mengniu-brand UHT milk and potentially other categories.

Mengniu is launching Mengniu Future Star Kid Milk nationwide this month. Mengniu Future Star Kid Milk with life'sDHA is now available in three varieties at major retailers across China and features the life'sDHA logo on the product packaging and in related marketing, advertising and promotional materials. This is the first milk with life'sDHA to be launched in China.

In China, Mengniu is the leader of the rapidly growing dairy market. Milk comprises approximately 60 percent of the Chinese dairy category, of which Mengniu has a leading share of 35 percent.

"We are pleased to be working with Mengniu, the largest dairy producer in China to introduce the first milk with life'sDHA to help support children's brain, eye and heart health," said David Abramson, president of Martek. "This product launch further strengthens our presence in China, a key market for Martek, and illustrates our strong position as a key player in the fortified dairy category, even in international markets."

DHA omega-3 is a long-chain omega-3 fatty acid that serves as a primary building block for the brain and the eyes and supports brain, eye and cardiovascular health throughout life. There is a large and growing body of scientific evidence demonstrating that people of all ages benefit from an adequate supply of DHA omega-3 in their diets. Scientific reviews have highlighted the importance of DHA omega-3 in proper brain and eye development and function, as well as its importance in cardiovascular health. Leading experts around the world have noted that DHA is an important nutrient for health throughout the life cycle. Yet despite its importance, most consumers do not get enough DHA in their diets.

Fish are often incorrectly thought to be the only source of DHA omega-3. However, life'sDHA offers a trusted, vegetarian form of DHA that contains no oceanic pollutants or toxins. Fish are sources of DHA because of the DHA-rich microalgae in their food chain; life'sDHA is derived directly from microalgae, a renewable, sustainable source of DHA that does not deplete ocean resources, and is produced entirely in the U.S. in an FDA-inspected facility. Today, life'sDHA is found in numerous foods, beverages and supplements for people of all ages. It is also the only source of DHA used in U.S. infant formula and is included in more than 99 percent of all formulas on the U.S. market, as well as in more than 350 infant formula, nutritional supplement, and food and beverage products sold in over 75 countries worldwide.