Mars Hosts key Scientific Panel Discussion at one of the Largest Ever Gatherings of Nobel Laureates

LINDAU, Germany, June 30, 2010 - To tackle the world's most pressing issues, genuine collaboration between
the academic community, government and industry is needed, Mars, Incorporated
said yesterday. As part of the Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings, Mars hosted an
interdisciplinary panel discussion addressing the far-reaching impact science
can have on society.

(Photo: www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20100701/398150 )

The Mars panel discussion is a key event at the Lindau Nobel Laureate
Meetings - a globally recognized forum that has been bringing together Nobel
Laureates and the world's most promising young scientists since 1951. This
year's meeting, taking place from 27th June to 2nd July, sees 61 Nobel
Laureates meet with the world's best young researchers to discuss topics that
will be central to future scientific debate. Following more than 30,000
applications, 650 young researchers were selected to participate in the
meetings set on the banks of Lake Constance between Germany, Austria and
Switzerland.

Yesterday's panel discussion is characteristic of the unique interaction
that takes place at Lindau and featured the views of Francoise
Barre-Sinoussi, Physiology or Medicine Nobel Laureate; Howard Shapiro, Global
Staff Officer of Plant Science and External Research, Mars, Incorporated and
Tanya Petrossian, a selected young researcher from UCLA. Adam Smith, Editor
in Chief, Nobelprize.org, moderated the panel and chaired an in-depth Q&A
session with the diverse student audience.

"By facilitating open and meaningful dialogue between the scientific
leaders of today and tomorrow, we aim to inspire the next generation of
scientists to pursue innovation for the benefit of the global community,"
said Howard Shapiro. Shapiro, who leads the Mars team sequencing the cocoa
genome, spoke of how science can be used to advance sustainability and
harnessed as an economic and social driver in the world's poorest regions.

Francoise Barre-Sinoussi, who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology
or Medicine in 2008 for her work in the identification of HIV as the cause of
AIDS, gave a unique insight into how science can shape society and the value
of such a debate. "It is clear that the young investigators are already
thinking deeply about the role of science in society and this enormous topic
will be an important element to include in future Lindau meetings," said
Francoise Barre-Sinoussi speaking after the panel.

Global collaboration is a key tenet of Mars science strategy. In 2007,
Mars entered into its engagement with the Lindau organization and has since
been closely involved in the meetings. This year, Mars sponsored seven young
researchers from the United States to attend and participate in this unique
forum and interact with Nobel Laureates from various disciplines.

About Mars, Incorporated

Mars, Incorporated is a private, family-owned company founded in 1911 and
employing more than 65,000 associates at over 370 sites, including 135
factories, in 68 countries worldwide. Headquartered in McLean, Virginia,
U.S.A., Mars, Incorporated is one of the world's largest food companies,
generating global sales of more than $28 billion annually and operating in
six business segments: Chocolate, Petcare, Wrigley Gum and Confections, Food,
Drinks, and Symbioscience.

Mars entered into its engagement with the Lindau organization in 2007. In
2008, Pamela Mars was appointed to the Honorary Senate of the Lindau
Foundation of Nobel prizewinners.

About the cocoa genome

In June 2008, Mars, Incorporated, the United States Department of
Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS), and IBM announced that
they would sequence, annotate and assemble the cocoa genome. A genome is
essentially a map of all the components that make up the characteristics of
an organism - in this case, cocoa. By understanding the exact location of
these characteristics, it is easier to breed cocoa plants that have
beneficial characteristics.

This public-private collaboration may enable the world's 6.5 million
cocoa farmers to plant better quality cocoa and, more importantly, help
create healthier, stronger cocoa crops with higher yields, pest and disease
resistance, and increased water and nutrient-use efficiency.

For more information, please see:

www.mars.com/global/news-and-media/press-releases/news-releases
.aspx?SiteId=94&Id=1503

(Due to the length of this URL, it may be necessary to copy and paste
this hyperlink into your Internet browser's URL address field. Remove
the space if one exists.)

About The Nobel Laureate Meetings at Lindau

The Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings are a globally-recognised forum which has
been bringing Nobel prizewinners and the world's most promising young
scientists together since 1951. The week-long, annual event takes place in
Lindau, set on the banks of Lake Constance between Germany, Austria and
Switzerland. The meetings consist of panel discussions, lectures, seminars
and social events to facilitate interaction between Nobel Laureates and the
scientific and academic elite of the future.

This year's meeting will be an interdisciplinary event
bringing together young researchers from all continents and 61 Nobel
Laureates in physiology, medicine, physics and chemistry. The Meetings will
take place from 27th June - 2nd July 2010.

For more information, please see:

www.lindau-nobel.de/

Picture is available via epa european pressphoto agency and can be
downloaded free of charge at:
www.presseportal.de/pm/64772/mars_inc/?keygroup=bild

    For more information, please contact:
    Roland Klein
    M +44-7776-162-997 

    Julian Hill
    M +44-7825-768-740

For more information, please contact: Roland Klein, M +44-7776-162-997 ; Julian Hill, M +44-7825-768-740