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DuPont,
Bunge Introduce New Soybean Oil that
Eliminates Trans Fats in Food
Low linolenic soybean oil to be marketed
under the NUTRIUM™ brand
DES MOINES, Iowa (
Oct. 6, 2004
) - Bunge Limited (NYSE: BG) and DuPont (NYSE: DD) today
announced a new soybean oil that enables food service providers
and food processors to reduce or eliminate trans fatty
acids in their products.
The oil will be marketed as NUTRIUM™ Low Lin Soybean
Oil. It will be the first product sold under the NUTRIUM™ brand,
which was created as part of an alliance
between Bunge and DuPont.
NUTRIUM™ Low Lin comes from Pioneer® variety
93M20, developed by DuPont subsidiary
Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc. The new soybean variety
features oil with a low linolenic acid profile of less
than 3 percent and offers better natural stability and
increased shelf life. When used for frying, low linolenic
oil eliminates the need for partial hydrogenation.
“NUTRIUM™ Low Lin will help food
companies reduce or eliminate trans fats from their products,” said
Carl Hausmann, president and CEO
of Bunge North America, the North American operating
arm of Bunge Limited. “With
the alliance, Bunge and DuPont can
ensure a high-quality product, reliable
supply and efficient delivery from the plant breeder
to the farmer to the food company.”
Bunge will manage marketing and distribution
of NUTRIUM™ Low
Lin to food service providers and
food processors, who, in 2003, used more than 5 billion
pounds of frying oil. The industry has been looking for
alternative oils because the U.S. Food and Drug Administration
will require the inclusion of trans fats on food nutrition
labels in 2006.
Pioneer® variety 93M20 is
the first commercially available
low linolenic soybean product variety
with yield and weed control options
that are competitive with the best
soybean varieties on the market.
In addition to having the popular Roundup Ready1 herbicide
resistance trait, the variety comes to the market with
three years of performance data.
“We’ve been developing soybeans with improved
oil since 1991 and that’s why we can deliver this
improvement in varieties with the complete genetic package
that farmers today demand,” said John Soper, DuPont
soybean research director.
Pioneer® variety 93M20 has
undergone significant testing in the field and Pioneer
is developing additional low linolenic varieties to meet
demand. NUTRIUM™ Low Lin has already passed critical taste
and performance tests in food product
applications. Additional quantities of the oil will be
available this fall for use in product development and
testing. Bunge expects to produce roughly 20 million pounds
from the 2005 crop and have full-scale commercial availability,
nearly 1 billion pounds, by 2009.
Contracts for growing Pioneer® brand 93M20 will be
available this fall to U.S. Midwest farmers in select areas.
Those interested should contact Pioneer at 800-247-6803,
extension 7014. Food companies interested in learning more
about NUTRIUM™ Low Lin should contact Bunge at 800-828-0800.
Bunge Limited (http://www.bungefoods.com)
is an integrated, global agribusiness
and food company operating in the farm-to-consumer food
chain. Founded in 1818 and headquartered in White Plains,
NY, Bunge has 24,000 employees and locations in 30 countries.
Bunge is the world’s
leading oilseed processing company, the largest producer
and supplier of fertilizers to farmers in South America
and the world’s leading seller of bottled vegetable
oils to consumers.
Bunge North America (www.bungenorthamerica.com),
the North American operating arm of Bunge Limited (NYSE:
BG), is a vertically integrated food and feed ingredient
company, supplying raw and processed agricultural commodities
and specialized food ingredients to a wide range of customers
in the livestock, poultry, food processor, foodservice
and bakery industries. With headquarters in St. Louis,
Mo., Bunge North America and its subsidiaries operate grain
elevators, grain and oilseed processing plants, edible
oil refineries and packaging facilities in the U.S., Canada
and Mexico.
Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc., a subsidiary of
DuPont, is the world's leading source of customized solutions
for farmers, livestock producers and grain and oilseed
processors. With headquarters in Des Moines, Iowa, Pioneer
provides access to advanced plant genetics, crop protection
solutions and quality crop systems to customers in nearly
70 countries.
DuPont is a science company. Founded in 1802, DuPont
puts science to work by creating sustainable solutions
essential to a better, safer, healthier life for people
everywhere. Operating in more than 70 countries, DuPont
offers a wide range of innovative products and services
for markets including agriculture, nutrition, electronics,
communications, safety and protection, home and construction,
transportation and apparel.
Forward-Looking Statements :
This news release contains forward-looking statements
based on management’s
current expectations, estimates and projections. All statements
that address expectations or projections about the future,
including statements about the company’s strategy
for growth, product development, market position, expected
expenditures and financial results are forward-looking
statements. Some of the forward-looking statements may
be identified by words like “expects,” “anticipates,” “plans,” “intends,” “projects,” “indicates,” and
similar expressions. These statements
are not guarantees of future performance and involve a
number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Many factors,
including those discussed more fully elsewhere in this
release and in documents filed with the Securities and
Exchange Commission by DuPont, particularly its latest
annual report on Form 10-K and quarterly report on Form
10-Q, as well as others, could cause results to differ
materially from those stated. These factors include, but
are not limited to changes in the laws, regulations, policies
and economic conditions, including inflation, interest
and foreign currency exchange rates, of countries in which
the company does business; competitive pressures; successful
integration of structural changes, including restructuring
plans, acquisitions, divestitures and alliances; cost of
raw materials, research and development of new products,
including regulatory approval and market acceptance; and
seasonality of sales of agricultural products.
# # #
10/06/04
1 Registered trademark used under license from Monsanto
® , ™ Trademarks of Pioneer
Hi-Bred International, Inc.
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