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Beneful® Expands Line With Two New Items

Beneful brand dog food, one of the fastest growing dry dog food brands in the U.S., announced today it is expanding its product line with two new offerings: Beneful®Healthy Radiance and Beneful®Healthy Growth for Puppies. Manufactured by Nestlé Purina PetCare Company, Beneful continues to experience outstanding performance, achieving double-digit growth each year since its launch in June 2001.ⁱ

The new products follow the successful introductions of Beneful Original and Beneful Healthy Weight formulas, which have delivered the largest share gains and outperformed the premium nutrition category in all trade channelsⁱⁱ. All of the products in the Beneful line offer a perfect balance of real, wholesome ingredients, quality nutrition and superb taste in one dog food. New Beneful Healthy Radiance, which features real salmon as a main protein source, offers a new way for dogs to feel as healthy as they look. And, new Beneful Healthy Growth for Puppies, which features real milk and other calcium sources for developing bones and teeth, provides the abundant nutrition of a completely balanced meal to help puppies grow up happy, healthy and strong.

"With these new line extensions, Beneful is on its way to becoming the one-stop shop for dog owners by delivering a range of real ingredient-based products that provide the variety owners seek to keep their dogs happy and healthy," said Mark Stoddard, Beneful brand manager. "Our target consumer insists on having it all – great taste and nutrition – and Beneful has demonstrated its ability to meet this need by being one of the best selling dog foods available in the premium nutrition category.ⁱⁱⁱ"

The new products begin shipping in January 2005 and will be in full national distribution in grocery, pet specialty, mass merchandise and club store channels in early spring.

Beneful® Healthy Radiance

New Beneful Healthy Radiance formula features real salmon and wholesome rice accented with vitamin-rich vegetables to help keep dogs happy and healthy, both inside and out. One of the most successful dry dog concepts ever tested, Beneful Healthy Radiance is one of the few dog foods available to feature salmon as a main protein source. The new formula has six distinct shaped pieces made with real, wholesome ingredients, including:

• Moist, chewy chunks made with real salmon that is rich in protein to help provide good muscle tone and a thick, glossy coat – ideal indicators of good health;
• Omega fatty acids to promote supple skin and a glossy coat;
• Crunchy rice packed with carbohydrates for energy;
• Vegetables with Vitamin A and other important nutrients, plus zinc, for healthy skin;
• Balanced nutrition, along with antioxidants like Vitamin E and selenium to help support a healthy immune system; and
• Calcium for healthy teeth and strong bones, plus iron for healthy blood.

Beneful Healthy Growth for Puppies

Designed to attract new dog owners to the premium nutrition category, Beneful Healthy Growth for puppies provides abundant nutrition including real milk to help puppies grow up happy, healthy and strong. The new formula features six distinct shaped pieces that have crunchy and moist textures and are made with real, wholesome ingredients, including:

• Moist chunks made with real chicken that is rich in protein for growing muscles;
• Calcium from real milk and other nutrient sources for developing bones and teeth; the food is formulated to be lactose-free;
• Vegetables, including peas and carrots, and other vitamin and mineral sources to help build a healthy immune system;
• Crunchy rice, a highly digestible source of carbohydrates, for the energy active puppies need;
• Essential fatty acids and other nutrients for development of a glossy coat;
• Iron for healthy blood.

The Beneful Healthy Radiance formula will be available in 4 lb, 8 lb, 17.6 lb and 35.2-pound packages, and the Beneful Healthy Growth formula will be available in 3.5 lb, 7 lb, 15.5 lb and 31.1 lb packages. The new products will be supported by an aggressive marketing campaign that includes: television, print and Internet advertising; consumer promotions; public relations; and retail trade support including SRDs, clip strips and POS.

"Beneful has a proven track record introducing a successful line extension that continues to deliver incremental volume and share points; our Healthy Weight formula is now the leading weight management formula in the premium segmentiv," said Stoddard. "Beneful research confirms that our consumer is willing to pay more for an ideal dog food. With the introduction of the two new formulas, Beneful is providing a significant opportunity to generate increased sales and loyalty to the premium nutrition category."

According to the 2003 AC Nielsen Pet Survey, 28-48 percent of puppy food brand buyers transition to the same adult brand and buying a puppy brand yields 2 to 5 times more loyalty to the adult brand than among those not buying a puppy brand. In addition, consumers are more loyal to the channel in which they make their initial puppy brand purchase.

Beneful brand dog food is manufactured by Nestlé Purina PetCare Company, one of the leading global manufacturers in the pet food industry. Nestlé Purina promotes responsible pet care, humane education, community involvement and the positive bond between people and their pets. The North American headquarters for Nestlé Purina PetCare is located at Checkerboard Square in St. Louis, Missouri. The company is part of Swiss-based Nestlé S.A., the world’s largest food company.

For more information about Beneful brand dog food, log onto www.beneful.com.

ⁱ FDMX, 52 w/e 6/02 vs. 6/04
ⁱⁱ AC Nielsen 52 wk data, ending 10/02/04; 12 wks ending 8/7/04
ⁱⁱⁱ FDMX 12 weeks ending 7/3/04
^iv FDMX 12 weeks ending 7/3/04

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