Martek, Dynamic Confections Announce Botticelli Choco-Omeg Bars Featuring life'sDHA

13/11/06 DHA omega-3 innovator Martek Biosciences and privately owned Dynamic Confections announced that the Botticelli Choco- meg line of nutritional type bars now feature Martek's DHA omega-3 product, life'sDHA. The newly formulated nutritional type bars now feature 70 mg of vegetarian DHA omega-3, an omega-3 fatty acid important for brain, eye and heart health, along with other key nutrients for women's health like calcium and choline. At a 1.2 oz (36 gm) size, the snack bar is sensibly sized for the health- conscious consumer. Currently available at Canadian retailers, including Loblaws, Real Canadian Superstore, and PharmaSave, the bars will soon be available at major U.S. retailers nationwide as well. The Choco-Omeg bars will be the first chocolate bars in the U.S. to feature life'sDHA.

"Now featuring vegetarian life'sDHA, the Botticelli Choco-Omeg bar is now even healthier and more delicious," said Gale Rudolph, the Dynamic Confections scientist responsible for developing Choco-Omeg. "Originally formulated with omega-3s from fish oil, the new and improved version of Choco- Omeg with vegetarian life'sDHA is an excellent source of DHA omega-3 and has none of the concerns about sensory problems associated with the use of omega-3s from fish oil."

Botticelli Choco-Omeg bars come in three varieties -- each formulated with 70 mg of life'sDHA. The Memory Formula (chocolate with an orange flavor) also includes 55 mg choline (from soy lecithin) to promote healthy memory and brain functions; the Calcium Formula (milk chocolate with rice crisps) boasts 500 mg of calcium per bar; and the Cardio Formula (dark chocolate with raspberry pieces) contains an additional 100 mg of omega-3 fatty acids from flaxseed. The primary target audience for Choco-Omeg is health-conscious adult women. At $2.49 each, the bars will be marketed under the brand name Choco-Omeg, made with recognized Botticelli Chocolate and will be supported by national and regional consumer campaigns.

"We are pleased to be partnering with Dynamics Confections by providing life'sDHA for their great-tasting Choco-Omeg bars. Choco-Omeg bars are a delicious way to supplement one's diet with DHA and other key healthy nutrients," said Steve Dubin, Martek's CEO.

DHA omega-3 is a long chain omega-3 fatty acid that serves as a primary building block for the brain and the eye 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, from infants to aging adults, benefit from an adequate supply of DHA omega-3 in the diet. Several recent scientific reviews have noted the importance of DHA omega-3 in proper brain and eye function, and there are large clinical studies underway to evaluate its role in decreasing the prevalence of certain neurological disorders. Yet despite its importance, Americans have among the lowest dietary intake of DHA omega-3 in the world.

Martek's life'sDHA is unique in the market because it is derived from a sustainable and vegetarian source. Made from microalgae under tightly controlled manufacturing conditions, life'sDHA is free of oceanic contaminants that may be present in certain fish or fish oils. Microalgae are the only vegetarian source of DHA omega-3, the key omega-3 for brain development and function.