FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

Novartis withdraws "functional" food product from the UK market

Aviva product range abandoned after less than a year


LONDON, 22 September 2000.

Novartis has announced that it has withdrawn the "Aviva" food range of 
products from sale in the UK. Novartis, which produces genetically modified 
seeds, as well as medical products, launched the range of products in 
November 1999 with a 20 million pound marketing campaign.

Novartis claimed that the "Aviva" functional foods offered health benefits 
to consumers including benefits for bones, heart and digestion. Products 
in the range included cereal bars, biscuits, a hot chocolate drink and a 
juice drink.

Marcus Williamson of gmfoodnews.com, states :

"Novartis made several mistakes in launching the Aviva range, at a time when 
the public is especially conscious of the ingredients used in food.

Several Aviva products contained soya, which consumers are avoiding because of 
the GM connection, and Aspartame, the artificial sweetener, which has according 
to the US Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) 92 possible side effects, 
including death.

Furthermore, the ingredients were not comprehensively labelled, so that the 
consumer could not tell if the vegetable oil and vegetable fat being used 
were from a GM suspect source."

In an e-mail received at the gmfoodnews.com offices, Yvan Deurbroeck of Novartis
Switzerland, states :

"We are currently reviewing the situation so that we can come back with a 
more powerful consumer proposal in the future."

Marcus Williamson responds :

"It is to be hoped that the next offerings from Novartis will not contain 
GM suspect ingredients, will not contain the artificial sweetener Aspartame 
or any "E" numbers and that their ingredients will be comprehensively labelled. 

If functional foods are to have a future in the UK, they will need to fit with 
the demands of the health conscious consumer for really healthy food, without 
the additives and with labelling that shows the real origin of the ingredients used.

In fact, if Novartis is serious about launching products for consumer health, it 
should use all organic ingredients." 

CONTACT 

Marcus Williamson
Genetically Modified Food - UK and World News
E-mail : marcus@myrealbox.com
Web : http://www.gmfoodnews.com/

Yvan Deurbroeck
Novartis Switzerland
E-mail : yvan.deurbroeck@ch.Novartis.com
Web : http://www.novartis.com/

NOTES TO EDITORS

Aviva was launched in November 1999 with a 20 million pound campaign run by 
Grey (GCI) UK. Aviva products were sold in UK supermarkets, such as Sainsbury's.

Novartis announced in August 2000 that it was removing genetically modified 
ingredients from all its food products.

Aspartame is made with genetically modified bacteria, according to this article :
http://www.connectotel.com/gmfood/ios2006.txt

For information about the 92 side effects of Aspartame use, see :
http://www.dorway.com/badnews.html