Martek Signs Agreement with General Mills
The move comes as the market still waits for General Mills’ rival Kellogg’s to launch its first products containing Martek DHA following the agreement made between the two companies in March last year.
20/06/06 Martek Biosciences Corporation has entered into a 15-year docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) license and supply agreement with General Mills, Inc. Under the terms of the agreement, General Mills may develop certain food products containing Martek DHA and must purchase, subject to certain exceptions, substantially all of its DHA needs from Martek for these products in the United States and other designated territories. There are no minimum purchase requirements or other financial commitments to Martek. General Mills intends for the initial launch of a product containing Martek DHA to take place in 2007. For all products containing Martek DHA, General Mills will display the Martek DHA logo on the product packaging, and it will also include the Martek DHA logo in related marketing, advertising and promotional materials. The move comes as the market still waits for General Mills’ rival Kellogg’s to launch its first products containing Martek DHA following the agreement made between the two companies in March last year.
"The General Mills agreement is another step toward widespread use of Martek's vegetarian source of DHA in foods and beverages. I believe that people's health will be better for it, and I applaud General Mills for taking this action," said Henry "Pete" Linsert, Jr., Martek's Chairman and CEO. Martek note that DHA is a long chain omega-3 fatty acid that supports brain, eye and cardiovascular health throughout life. There is a large and growing body of scientific evidence demonstrating that people of all ages, from infants to aging adults, benefit from an adequate supply of DHA in the diet. Several recent scientific reviews have noted the importance of DHA in proper brain and eye function, as well as its potential role in decreasing the prevalence of several neurological disorders, including Alzheimer's disease. Yet despite its importance, natural food sources of DHA are limited primarily to fatty fish and organ meat causing Americans to have among the lowest dietary intake of DHA in the world.
