CocoaVia® food supplement available in the UK & Ireland in February 2017
LONDON, Feb. 16, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- CocoaVia® cocoa extract food supplement will be available for online purchase to consumers in the United Kingdom and Ireland, beginning in February 2017. Consumers can visit CocoaVia.co.uk or Amazon.co.uk to purchase bottles of 90-count cocoa extract capsules, with each three-capsule portion of the supplement delivering 375 mg of cocoa flavanols.
Globally, there is a growing interest from consumers in cocoa and the phytonutrients found in cocoa, notably the cocoa flavanols. This interest is driven by the increasing body of evidence supporting the vascular benefits related to the consumption of cocoa flavanols. Cocoa flavanols help maintain the elasticity of blood vessels, which contributes to normal blood flow, with a minimum daily consumption of 200 mg cocoa flavanols required to support these benefits*.
Cocoa flavanols require special care to preserve, as they are easily damaged by heat and humidity. Since fermentation and roasting are key steps in traditional cocoa processing, most cocoa processing destroys cocoa flavanols. Mars, Incorporated has dedicated over two decades of research to cocoa flavanols, and in doing so, developed its proprietary Cocoapro® process, which preserves the flavanols found naturally in cocoa beans.
"We are excited to expand our distribution to the UK and Ireland to provide more people with the opportunity to experience the benefits of CocoaVia® food supplement," said Julie Talbot, Marketing & Sales Director, Mars Symbioscience, makers of CocoaVia® supplement.
The European distribution comes on the heels of the expanded U.S. distribution to 7,800+ Walgreens locations nationwide, which occurred in October 2016.
*Health Claim approved by Commission Regulation (EU) 2015/539. This claim has been licensed from Barry Callebaut Belgium NV for use.
Important note to editors:
CocoaVia® food supplement does not contain any chocolate, nor is it derived from chocolate. It is processed in a completely different way. Cocoa beans are usually fermented and roasted in the process of making chocolate. In many cases, they are also alkalized. These processes can destroy many of the beneficial flavanol compounds naturally found in cocoa. To make the cocoa extract in CocoaVia®, Mars Symbioscience uses a proprietary process that preserves the flavanols in their purest form. This process, called Cocoapro®, begins in Indonesia with the quick-harvesting and drying of the cocoa beans. Then, from these unroasted cocoa beans, the flavanols are carefully extracted. This means consumers can enjoy the benefits of cocoa flavanols in a product that is convenient to use every day with far fewer calories, fat, and sugar than conventional chocolate.
About Mars Symbioscience
Pioneering some of the most innovative and breakthrough fundamental scientific research, and with sustained funding from Mars, Incorporated, Mars Symbioscience was established in 2005 as an internal technology-based health and life sciences venture area to develop and commercialize new products and services supported by evidence-based science. To date, Symbioscience has successfully incubated, introduced and transitioned five technology platforms in the areas of food, plant, biomedical and life sciences, including Wisdom Panel®, (www.wisdompanel.com), a range of complex canine genetic tests for breeders and veterinarians and, CocoaVia® (www.cocoavia.com), a revolutionary new cocoa flavanol extract-based dietary supplement that promotes healthy blood flow from head to toe and thus ultimately supports cardiovascular health in people.
For more information, please visit www.marssymbioscience.com.
About Mars, Incorporated
Mars, Incorporated is a private, family-owned business with more than a century of history and some of the best-loved brands in the world. Some of these iconic brands include: Petcare – PEDIGREE®, ROYAL CANIN®, WHISKAS®, IAMS®, EUKANUBA®, WHISTLE®, BANFIELD® Pet Hospital, PET PARTNERS ®, CESAR®, SHEBA®, DREAMIES®, WISDOM PANEL®, BLUEPEARL®, GREENIES® and NUTRO®; Chocolate – M&M'S®, SNICKERS®, DOVE®, GALAXY®, MARS®, MILKY WAY®, 3 MUSKETEERS® BOUNTY®, MALTESERS ®, TWIX® and AMERICAN HERITAGE®; Wrigley – DOUBLEMINT®, EXTRA®, ORBIT® and 5™ chewing gums, SKITTLES® and STARBURST® candies, and ALTOIDS® AND LIFESAVERS® mints; Food – UNCLE BEN'S®, DOLMIO®, EBLY®, MASTERFOODS®, SEEDS OF CHANGE® and ROYCO®; Drinks – ALTERRA COFFEE ROASTERS™, THE BRIGHT TEA COMPANY™, KLIX® and FLAVIA®; and Symbioscience – COCOAVIA®.
Headquartered in McLean, Virginia, Mars has more than $35 billion in net sales from Mars Petcare, Mars Wrigley Confectionery, Mars Food, Mars Drinks and Mars Symbioscience. More than 80,000 Associates across 78 countries are united by the company's Five Principles: Quality, Efficiency, Responsibility, Mutuality and Freedom and strive every day to create relationships with stakeholders that deliver growth Mars is proud of as a company.
For more information, please visit Mars.com.
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