Health benefits of tagatose highlighted

17/06/05 Spherix Incorporated has reported on recent articles in scientific and food industry journals highlighting the health benefits of tagatose. The findings should support marketing efforts for the Firm's natural, low-calorie, full- bulk sugar as a healthy alternative to other sweeteners.

Last week, Reuters Health published an article detailing the findings of a study conducted by researchers in Boston regarding the benefits of eating foods with a low-glycemic index. The results of the study, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, concluded that a low glycemic load diet "may be more efficacious than a conventional, energy-restricted, low-fat diet in reducing cardiovascular disease risk." As Spherix previously reported, earlier studies by Sydney University's Glycaemic Index Research Service (SUGiRS) found tagatose to have a glycemic index of only 3%, compared to 100% for glucose, and well below the glycemic indices of other natural sugars and most sugar alcohols used as sweeteners, the latter being more caloric than tagatose. The Sydney study also reported that tagatose produced a very low insulinemic response of 3%, a property very important to diabetics.

Spherix's tagatose food and beverage use licensee, Arla Foods Ingredients, has stated that it is confident in the economic potential of tagatose, although it is still addressing how to use the above mentioned advantages to penetrate the low-calorie sweetener market. Arla senses a slowdown in the "low-carb" market, making tagatose's low-caloric feature even more important. Spherix is optimistic that continuing news reports about the health benefits of tagatose, combined with awaited FDA guidelines for a low glycemic index, and its superior taste will allow tagatose to penetrate the sweetener market more rapidly.

Spherix retains all non-food rights to tagatose, which the Firm is marketing under the brand name of Naturlose. Arla is supplying these needs, and has stated that it will build a larger tagatose plant when sales demand. In order to assure manufacturers of toothpaste, mouthwash, over-the- counter drugs, and pharmaceuticals of an adequate and continuing supply of Naturlose, Spherix has begun discussions regarding alternative sources of supply should Arla prove unable to meet market demand.

In 1996, Arla Foods Ingredients licensed from Spherix the exclusive worldwide rights to produce and commercialize tagatose for use in foods and beverages. Arla and Nordzucker AG, a German sugar producer, have formed a joint venture company named SweetGredients KG to manufacture and market tagatose under the brand name Gaio tagatose. SweetGredients is the only worldwide producer of Gaio tagatose.