29 Jan 2009 07:00
PureCircle Limited
('PureCircle' or 'the Group')
SENIOR INTERNATIONAL SALES TEAM APPOINTMENT
29 January 2009
PureCircle (LSE:PURE), the world's leading developer, producer, and marketer of high purity Rebaudioside A (Reb A) announces a major addition to its international sales team with a key appointment from within the ingredients industry. Chris Hession joins the Group as Vice President Sales, for Australasia, China and Japan.
Chris brings ten years of food ingredients industry experience and joins PureCircle from McCormick Foods where he was Regional Sales Manager for Asia, Australia and New Zealand. Previously, he was with The NutraSweet Company.
This appointment follows that of Jordi Ferre who joined PureCircle from Tate & Lyle to spearhead the commercial development of Reb A in the United States. In December 2008, the US FDA issued a 'no-objection' letter, giving high-purity Reb A Generally Recognised As Safe ("GRAS") status, which allows high-purity Reb A to be adopted as a key ingredient in mainstream food and beverage production and across entire product ranges. Food and drink manufacturers in the United States are already using high-purity Reb A as a sweetener ingredientfollowing the opening of the market with GRAS status for high-purity Reb A.
Commenting on the appointment, Peter Milsted, Executive Vice President, Marketing and Sales of PureCircle, said:
"We are delighted to have someone of Chris' calibre and experience joining our team. Markets around the world are increasingly adopting high-purity Reb A, the first all-natural zero calorie sweetener to be used in mainstream food and beverages. Chris's arrival, along with other recently announced appointments, will further enable us to build on our first-mover advantage."
| Enquiries: | |
| PureCircle | |
| Magomet Malsagov, Chief Executive Officer | +601 2 388 8049 |
| Peter Milsted, Director: Marketing & Sales | +33 6 2184 5356 |
| William Mitchell, Chief Financial Officer | +44 7974 005 163 |
| College Hill | +44 20 7457 2020 |
| Mark Garraway | |
| Jon Davies | |
| RFC Corporate Finance Ltd (NOMAD) | +618 9480 2500 |
| Stephen Allen | |
| Trinity McIntyre |
NOTES TO EDITORS
Senior Management
The senior management team comprises:
Magomet Malsagov, Chief Executive Officer
William Mitchell, Chief Financial Officer
Peter Milsted, Director: Marketing & Sales
Varuzhan Abelyan, Corporate Vice-President: R&D and Process Innovation
Dorn Wenninger, Corporate Vice-President: Supply Chain
Arne Lugeon, Corporate Vice-President: Human Resources
PureCircle's senior international sales and marketing team includes:
Jordi Ferre, Vice-President & General Manager: PureCircle USA
Angus Flood, Head of International Marketing
Erik Bölcs, Vice President: European Sales
Chris Hession, Vice President: Australasia, China and Japan Sales
About high-purity Reb A
High-purity Reb A is the world's first all-natural, zero calorie sweetener derived from the Stevia Rebaudiana plant. For more on Reb A visit www.Reb-A.com
About PureCircle
PureCircle (LSE:PURE) is the world's leading producer of high-purity Rebaudioside A (Reb A), with a vertically integrated supply chain operating in three continents. PureCircle markets a range of natural sweeteners internationally. Activities range from the sourcing of dry stevia leaves and extraction, refining of high-purity Reb A into sweeteners and marketing of these sweeteners to food and beverage manufacturers worldwide.
PureCircle's extraction plant can produce 1,000MT of stevia extract annually which is currently the world's largest extraction facility. This is set to increase to 4,000MT in March 2009. The Company has built the world's largest state-of-the-art refining plant in Malaysia. This currently produces 1,000MT of high purity Reb A and work has started to double this capacity to 2,000MT. The Company's production facilities operate in compliance with cGMP, HACCP and ISO standards.
During 2008, PureCircle announced contract extensions with Cargill and major new contracts with PepsiCo and Whole Earth Sweetener Company for the supply of high purity Reb A in beverages, foods and tabletop sweeteners worldwide including the exclusive license to market PureViaTM Reb A as a ingredient (PureVia™ is a trademark of PepsiCo Inc and Whole Earth Sweetener Company LLC: see www.purevia.com).
In December 2008, PureCircle announced that the United States Food & Drug Administration ("FDA") had issued a no objection letter with respect to high-purity Reb A, formally giving high-purity Reb A Generally Recognised As Safe ("GRAS") status for use in mainstream beverages, foods and tabletop sweeteners, either as a complement to sugar or as a healthy substitute for synthetic sweeteners. Other Stevia extract ingredients do not have GRAS status in the United States.
PureCircle's investment in research and development has given it a leadership position in the manufacture of high-purity Reb A, and their scientists are globally recognised experts in their field.
The Company works with independent farmers in Thailand, China, Paraguay, Laos and Kenya to grow the best quality stevia leaf. PureCircle works closely with communities in each of these countries and endeavours to maximise the social, economic and environmental benefits of its operations.
PureCircle's corporate offices are located in New Jersey USA; Asuncion, Paraguay; Geneva, Switzerland; Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Ganzhou, China and Kericho, Kenya.
PureCircle is listed on the London Stock Exchange AIM market under the ticker symbol: PURE
For more information on PureCircle visit: www.purecircle.com