FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 30, 2005

Farmers Applaud Consumer Groups’ Letter to Attorney General Concerning Misleading Splenda Advertising
Johnson & Johnson under fire again for Splenda Advertising

Truth About Splenda Campaign Supports Effort to Educate Consumers

Washington, D.C. [September 30, 2005] - The Truth About Splenda campaign commends the California Alliance for Consumer Protection (CACP) and Consumers First for taking on industry giant Johnson & Johnson and their subsidiary McNeil Nutritionals on behalf of California’s consumers.

"On behalf of American sugar cane and sugar beet farmers, I want to thank CACP and Consumers First for stepping up and calling attention to consumers being misled by Johnson & Johnson," said Andy Briscoe, President of the Sugar Association. "We believe consumers have the right to know what they are buying and feeding their families. Splenda is not sugar and it is not natural, and surveys have shown significant percentages of consumers are confused by Splenda's advertising. We hope Attorney General Lockyer will consider their request fully and thoughtfully."

Last week, these two leading consumer organizations (CACP and Consumers First) wrote a letter to California Attorney General Bill Lockyer requesting an investigation into ads for the chlorinated artificial sweetener Splenda.

"We are concerned that this is a deliberate attempt on the part of the makers of Splenda to fool consumers into believing they are ingesting a natural product when in fact it is chlorine based," said Michael Ross, Consumer Advocate for the California Alliance for Consumer Protection. "Consumers have the right to know what they are purchasing for themselves and their families. The advertising practices by the makers of Splenda appear to fall significantly short when it comes to being accurate about their product."

For more information about the ten lawsuits filed against Johnson & Johnson/McNeil for misleading consumers about Splenda, or for information about the Truth About Splenda campaign (www.truthaboutsplenda.com), please call Rich Masters at Qorvis Communications, 202-496-1000.

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