Cargill's Steviol Glycosides Dossier Receives Positive Scientific Opinion From the European Food Safety Authority

EFSA's Safety Assessment Marks Important First Step of European Union Approval and Availability of Truvia(TM) Sweetener, Zero-Calorie Sweetness From the Stevia Leaf

WAYZATA, Minnesota, April 14, 2010 - The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) today published a Scientific
Opinion, which confirms that steviol glycosides, sweeteners extracted from
the stevia plant, are safe for use in foods and beverages and establishes an
Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) for their safe consumption.

In its published Scientific Opinion, EFSA's Panel on Food Additives and
Nutrient Sources Added to Foods (ANS) concludes that, considering the
available toxicity data, "steviol glycosides complying with JECFA[1]
specifications are not carcinogenic, genotoxic or associated with any
reproductive / development toxicity." The ANS Panel also establishes an ADI
for steviol glycosides, expressed as steviol equivalents, of 4 mg/kg bw/day,
the same ADI as previously established by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee
on Food Additives (JECFA).

The opinion is based on a rigorous safety assessment by EFSA's ANS expert
panel of the scientific dossiers submitted by several applicants including
Cargill, maker of Truvia(TM) sweetener, a great-tasting, zero-calorie
sweetener derived from the leaf of the stevia plant. The Scientific Opinion
applies to steviol glycosides including stevioside, rebaudioside A,
rebaudioside C, dulcoside A, rubusoside, steviolbioside, rebaudioside B,
rebaudioside D and rebaudioside F.

Truvia(TM) tabletop sweetener, the U.S. market leader in the new category
of stevia-based sweeteners is made with rebiana, which is 97% pure
rebaudioside A, the best-tasting part of the stevia leaf and one of the
steviol glycosides assessed by EFSA. Truvia(TM) rebiana, which is 200 times
sweeter than sugar, opens up a whole new range of choices for food and
beverage companies to create products with sweetness from a natural source
without calories.

Zanna McFerson, Assistant Vice President, Cargill Health and Nutrition,
said: "This is a very important milestone in the path of European regulatory
approval of steviol glycosides. We look forward to offering our food and
beverage customers Truvia(TM) rebiana for use in foods, beverages and
confectionary products as an innovation for their brands. Consumers in Europe
will benefit by having more choice as they look to manage sugars and calories
in their lives. Our Truvia(TM) product will initially be available in France
where it is already allowed for use."

EFSA's ANS Panel also stated that, based on conservative estimates, the
ADI would be exceeded at the maximum proposed use levels for steviol
glycosides. For comparison, the ADI is equivalent to approximately 23
teaspoons of Truvia(TM) tabletop sweetener every day over the course of a
lifetime. Projected use levels were based on provisional industry estimates.
In practice, maximum use limits in certain food and beverage categories may
need to be adjusted before a final regulation is issued by the European
Union.

In May 2008 Cargill published the results of the Truvia(TM) rebiana
research programme in the journal Food and Chemical Toxicology. This research
is the only peer-reviewed, published comprehensive safety programme and was
pivotal for substantiating the safe use of steviol glycosides, of which
rebaudioside A is one, in food and beverages.

Professor Andrew Renwick OBE, Emeritus Professor of the School of
Medicine of the University of Southampton UK, who contributed to the
Truvia(TM) rebiana research programme, commented: "EFSA's positive Scientific
Opinion affirms that the extensive research performed on rebiana has
established its safety for use in foods and beverages."

In July 2008, the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives found
steviol glycosides safe for use and the U.S. Food & Drug Administration
responded favourably to Generally Recognised As Safe notifications (GRAS) in
December 2008. In September 2009, France authorised the use of rebaudioside A
as a sweetener at the national level as the result of a positive safety
opinion issued by the Agence Francaise de Securite Sanitaire des Aliments.

Steviol glycosides are also permitted for use in foods and beverages in
Argentina, Australia, Brazil, China, Columbia, France, Japan, Korea,
Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Paraguay, Peru, Russia, Switzerland, Taiwan,
Turkey, Ukraine, and Uruguay.

In the U.S., since its introduction, Truvia(TM) tabletop sweetener has
achieved a 7.6 percent market share of the sugar substitute category and
Truvia(TM) rebiana launched in more than a dozen food and beverage products.
In France, Fanta Still(R) juice drinks made with Truvia(TM) rebiana were
recently launched.

Notes to editors

About Truvia(TM)

Truvia(TM) tabletop sweetener is a great tasting, zero calorie sweetener,
made with rebiana that originates from the best tasting part of the stevia
leaf. Truvia(TM) rebiana is also used as an ingredient to sweeten foods and
beverages. Truvia(TM) rebiana can currently be found as an ingredient in the
following products in the U.S.: Glaceau vitaminwater10(TM) and vitaminwater
Zero(TM) beverages, Coca Cola Sprite Green(TM), Odwalla(R) Reduced-Calorie
Quencher, Kraft Crystal Light Pure Fitness and Nature's Splash(R) powdered
beverage, True Lemon Naturally Sweet(R) powdered beverage, All Sport
Naturally Zero(TM) sports drink, Hansen's(R) Natural Lo-Cal juices, Blue
Sky(R) Free sodas, Minute Maid Premium(R) Pomegranate Tea, Breyers
YoCrunch(R) 100 Calorie Packs, Velamints breath mints, and Dippin' Dots(c)
ice cream. In France, Truvia(TM) rebiana can be found in Coca Cola Fanta
Still(R) juice drink and Eckes-Granini juice drinks under the Joker and Rea
brands. For more information, visit www.truvia.com

About Cargill

Cargill is an international provider of food, agricultural, financial and
industrial products and services. Founded in 1865, the privately held company
employs 138,000 people in 67 countries. Cargill helps customers succeed
through collaboration and innovation, and is committed to applying its global
knowledge and experience to help meet economic, environmental and social
challenges wherever it does business. For more information, visit
www.cargill.com.

About stevia

Stevia is a shrub in the Asteraceae family native to portions of
north-eastern Paraguay. The plant has been grown, harvested and used in South
America as a sweetener in foods and beverages for more than 200 years.

About steviol glycosides

The sweet components of the stevia leaf. There are various kinds of
steviol glycosides, but the two most abundant types are stevioside and
rebaudioside A.

About rebaudioside A

The best-tasting of the steviol glycosides found in the stevia plant.
Rebaudioside A is almost identical in chemical structure to stevioside, and
the body breaks it down into the same basic parts. This means that the
extensive body of safety data on stevioside can be applied to rebaudioside A.

About Rebiana

Rebiana is a 97% pure form of rebaudioside A. It is the first
high-purity, well-characterised form of rebaudioside A.

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[1] Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives

    Media Contacts:

    Elizabeth Fay
    Phone: +44(0)1932-861165
    EMAIL: Elizabeth_Fay@Cargill.Com

    Ann Clark Tucker
    Phone: +1-952-742-4057
    EMAIL: Ann_Tucker@Cargill.Com

    Rosemary Broo
    Phone: +44(0)203-043-4169
    EMAIL: Rosemary.Brook@kaizo.net

    Atalanta Rafferty
    Phone: +1-212-994-7511
    EMAIL: Atalanta.Rafferty@Rfbinder.Com

Media Contacts: Elizabeth Fay, Phone: +44(0)1932-861165, EMAIL: Elizabeth_Fay at Cargill.Com; Ann Clark Tucker, Phone: +1-952-742-4057, EMAIL: Ann_Tucker at Cargill.Com; Rosemary Broo, Phone: +44(0)203-043-4169, EMAIL: Rosemary.Brook at kaizo.net; Atalanta Rafferty, Phone: +1-212-994-7511, EMAIL: Atalanta.Rafferty at Rfbinder.Com