Martek Announces Agreement with Mengniu Dairy Company Limited in China

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• USA - English

COLUMBIA, Md., May 4 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- DHA omega-3 innovator and maker of the life'sDHA™ brand, Martek Biosciences Corporation (Nasdaq: MATK) announced today that it has signed a five-year agreement with leading Chinese dairy, Mengniu Dairy Company Limited, for the use of Martek's life'sDHA in Mengniu-brand UHT milk and potentially other categories.

Mengniu is launching Mengniu Future Star Kid Milk nationwide this month. Mengniu Future Star Kid Milk with life'sDHA is now available in three varieties at major retailers across China and features the life'sDHA logo on the product packaging and in related marketing, advertising and promotional materials. This is the first milk with life'sDHA to be launched in China.

In China, Mengniu is the leader of the rapidly growing dairy market. Milk comprises approximately 60 percent of the Chinese dairy category, of which Mengniu has a leading share of 35 percent.

"We are pleased to be working with Mengniu, the largest dairy producer in China to introduce the first milk with life'sDHA to help support children's brain, eye and heart health," said David Abramson, president of Martek. "This product launch further strengthens our presence in China, a key market for Martek, and illustrates our strong position as a key player in the fortified dairy category, even in international markets."

DHA omega-3 is a long-chain omega-3 fatty acid that serves as a primary building block for the brain and the eyes and supports brain, eye and cardiovascular health throughout life. There is a large and growing body of scientific evidence demonstrating that people of all ages benefit from an adequate supply of DHA omega-3 in their diets. Scientific reviews have highlighted the importance of DHA omega-3 in proper brain and eye development and function, as well as its importance in cardiovascular health. Leading experts around the world have noted that DHA is an important nutrient for health throughout the life cycle. Yet despite its importance, most consumers do not get enough DHA in their diets.

Fish are often incorrectly thought to be the only source of DHA omega-3. However, life'sDHA offers a trusted, vegetarian form of DHA that contains no oceanic pollutants or toxins. Fish are sources of DHA because of the DHA-rich microalgae in their food chain; life'sDHA is derived directly from microalgae, a renewable, sustainable source of DHA that does not deplete ocean resources, and is produced entirely in the U.S. in an FDA-inspected facility. Today, life'sDHA is found in numerous foods, beverages and supplements for people of all ages. It is also the only source of DHA used in U.S. infant formula and is included in more than 99 percent of all formulas on the U.S. market, as well as in more than 350 infant formula, nutritional supplement, and food and beverage products sold in over 75 countries worldwide.

China Mengniu Dairy Company Limited and its subsidiaries manufacture and distribute quality dairy products in China. It is one of the leading dairy product manufacturers in China, with MENGNIU as the core brand. The Group boasts a diverse product range including liquid milk products, (such as UHT milk, milk beverages and yogurt), ice cream, and other dairy products (such as milk powder and cheese). According to the survey jointly conducted by China Industrial Information Issuing Center, the National Bureau of Statistics of China, and China General Chamber of Commerce, the Group has held the top spot in the Chinese dairy market in terms of overall sales volume and sales volume of liquid milk products since 2003.

Martek Biosciences Corporation (Nasdaq: MATK) is a leader in the innovation, development, production and sales of high-value products from microbial sources that promote health and wellness through nutrition.  The company is the world's leading provider of algal DHA omega-3 with its flagship product, life'sDHA, a sustainable and vegetarian source of algal DHA omega-3 important for brain, heart and eye health throughout life, for use in foods, beverages, infant formula, and supplements. The company also produces life'sARA™ (arachidonic acid), an omega-6 fatty acid, for use in infant formula and growing up milks. Additionally, Martek's subsidiary, Amerifit Brands, develops, markets and distributes branded consumer health and wellness products in major mass, club, drug, grocery and specialty stores and holds leading brand positions in all of its key product categories. For more information on Martek Biosciences, visit http://www.martek.com/. For a complete list of life'sDHA™ or life'sARA™ products, visit http://www.lifesdha.com/. For more information about Amerifit Brands, visit www.amerifit.com.

Sections of this release contain forward-looking statements. These statements are based upon numerous assumptions which Martek cannot control and involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ. These statements should be understood in light of the risk factors set forth in the company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including, but not limited to, the company's Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended October 31, 2009 and other filed reports on Form 10-K, Form 10-K/A, Form 10-Q and Form 8-K.

SOURCE Martek Biosciences Corporation