Nutrisweet by any other name.... is still crap

Dr. Harriott's Comment:

What can I say, just by naming it "Benevia" doesn't mean it isn't still toxic crud. Try the simple natural sweeteners, or better yet, try to use less sweetener altogether. Don't ever do saccahrin, nutra-sweet, or any other such "industrial edibles". Heck, people jump up and down over corn syrup, for heaven's sake. What do you think this neurotoxic crap will leave you with down the line? STAY AWAY!!!!
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DEERFIELD, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 6, 1996--Leveraging its position as the world's leading marketer of sweeteners, NutraSweet Consumer Products, an operating unit of Monsanto Co., announced today that it will be expanding into other "better for you" product categories and is changing its name to Benevia. Benevia is derived from the Latin roots "bene" meaning good and "via" meaning way.

The unit's most recognized brands, Equal sweetener in North America; Canderel sweetener in Europe, Africa and the Middle East; and NutraSweet sweetener in Asia and Latin America, comprise its core franchise of consumer products. The company continues to strengthen its sweetener base around the world, and now plans to extend into other "better for you" consumer categories.

"Even in sweeteners, we're not just NutraSweet," said Nick E. Rosa, president of Benevia. "We've built a global portfolio of sweetener brands over the past decade, and we continue to expand in this arena with new products that reflect individual market tastes and preferences.

"In the past year, we've acquired leading sweetener franchises in Italy and Argentina, and we've begun testing new sweetener opportunities in India and China."

Mission: to market "better-for-you" products worldwide

"But, the company's new mission is to go beyond sweeteners," Rosa said. "We are exploring a variety of innovative products and services to help people enjoy healthy living in markets around the world. Our new name and company logo are a reflection of this broader scope in our core business, as well as our vision for growth beyond sweeteners."

Benevia was the right choice for a variety of reasons, said Rosa. Because its mission now extends beyond sweeteners, the company purposefully selected a name that was unassociated with its leading brands. The company also wanted a name that would have meaning in many languages to reflect its global status. Currently, the company's sweetener products are marketed in 100 countries.

"In virtually any language, Benevia's translation speaks to the healthy living consumer arenas the company plans to pursue," said Rosa.

New hummingbird symbol: nimble, farsighted and fast

In conjunction with the name change, the company is also introducing a new hummingbird logo as its symbol.

"Hummingbirds symbolize our corporate culture," said Rosa. "They are nimble, farsighted and fast. Like us, they'll fly over the horizon in search of the sweetest reward.

"We're a small organization, so we can act swiftly, but we also have the advantage of being able to access Monsanto's considerable global resources when we need them. It's an enviable position to be in," said Rosa.

Headquartered in Deerfield, Ill., a suburb of Chicago, Benevia is a global consumer products business unit of Monsanto Co.

CONTACT: Lesnik Public Relations

Joel Feldstein, 312/755-3595

or after 2/8/96:

Benevia

Nancy Nevin, 847/405-6574