New VIACTIV(R) FLAVOR GLIDES(TM) Supplements Offer a Great Experience to Help Women Meet Their Multi-Vitamin and Calcium Needs

FORT WASHINGTON, Pa., March 13 /PRNewswire/ -- Taking a daily supplement can now be an enjoyable experience for women with the launch of new, easy to swallow VIACTIV(R) FLAVOR GLIDES(TM) dietary supplements. The new multivitamin supplements and new calcium supplements have smooth, flavored coatings that offer a more pleasant experience than larger, chalky pills associated with many traditional supplements.

New VIACTIV(R) FLAVOR GLIDES(TM) supplements are designed to help meet a woman's daily need for essential vitamins and minerals. They offer an important option for women who say the taste and difficulty in swallowing some vitamin and calcium pills are a deterrent to using them everyday.

According to a new survey from CARAVAN(R) Opinion Research Corporation (CORC), over one third of women have not taken a multivitamin or calcium supplement in the last month. Although the majority (54%) of these women agree that taking vitamins would be a healthy addition to their life, one in four of them simply won't take the pills because they don't like swallowing them. Additionally, of women surveyed who have taken a multivitamin or calcium supplement within the last month, 70 percent dislike some aspect of the experience, with nearly one-fifth of these women blaming the pills' unpleasant aftertaste. (1)

Available in both multivitamin and a calcium formulation, VIACTIV(R) FLAVOR GLIDES(TM) supplements combine a smooth, easy to swallow coating with great taste to help women form the good habit of consistently taking daily supplements. One VIACTIV(R) Multi-Vitamin FLAVOR GLIDES(TM) caplet with a BERRY BREEZE(TM) flavored coating offers a complete women's formula with 24 essential vitamins and minerals. Two VIACTIV(R) Calcium FLAVOR GLIDES(TM) caplets with a vanilla flavored coating provide 100 percent of the Daily Value for calcium, Vitamin D and Vitamin K.

"Although many women believe they get adequate vitamins and minerals from a balanced diet, the majority of women don't meet the recommended requirements," says Elizabeth Somer, Registered Dietician and author of Age Proof Your Body. "Taking a supplement is an easy way to meet nutritional goals, but many women say they don't like the experience, and some women forget to take one because it's not in their normal routine. To help women remember, they can couple the act of taking vitamins with something they're not likely to forget, like eating breakfast."

Dietary surveys repeatedly demonstrate that large groups of Americans do not meet their daily needs of key vitamins and minerals from diet alone. Further, a daily multivitamin dietary supplement is recommended for all adults by healthcare professionals to help individuals consistently meet their recommended intake levels. (2) The use of daily calcium supplements for women is especially important. With the growing numbers of people with osteoporosis in this country, the Surgeon General recently predicted that one-half of Americans over age 50 would be at risk for bone fractures because of brittle bones or low bone density by the year 2020. (3)

Taking vitamins on a consistent basis continues to be a challenge for women. In the CORC survey, nearly half (45%) of women who have not taken a multivitamin or calcium supplement in the last month say that they would be more likely to take vitamins if they were easier to swallow. (4) Women who try either VIACTIV(R) FLAVOR GLIDES(TM) multivitamin or calcium supplement and don't find the caplets easy to swallow can receive a full refund as part of a money-back guarantee offered to consumers through June 2007.

VIACTIV(R) Multi-Vitamin FLAVOR GLIDES(TM) supplements contain 24 essential vitamins and minerals, including Vitamins A, C, D, E, K, B1, B2, Niacin, B6, Folic Acid, B12, Biotin, Pantothenic Acid, Calcium, Iron, Iodine, Magnesium, Zinc, Selenium, Copper, Manganese, Chromium, Molybdenum and Potassium, plus Lutein to help promote immune health, energy activation, heart health, bone strength, skin health and eye health.

VIACTIV(R) Calcium FLAVOR GLIDES(TM) supplements contain 500mg of calcium plus Vitamins D and K.

About VIACTIV(R)

Consumers might recognize the VIACTIV(R) Brand as the innovators who offer alternative delivery methods for incorporating calcium and multivitamins into a daily diet. VIACTIV(R) Calcium and Multi-Vitamin Soft Chews provide convenient, great-tasting ways for women to supplement a healthy diet and help them obtain the recommended amount of key vitamins and calcium each day. Last year, the company introduced VIACTIV(R) for Teens Calcium Soft Chews, a new portable, great tasting, chewable calcium supplement that provides needed calcium and suits the active lifestyle of pre-teen and teenage girls. More information about VIACTIV(R) brands is available at http://www.viactiv.com/. VIACTIV(R) Calcium Soft Chews, VIACTIV(R) Multi-Vitamin Soft Chews, VIACTIV(R) for Teens Calcium Soft Chews, and the new VIACTIV(R) FLAVOR GLIDES(TM) dietary supplements are marketed by McNeil Nutritionals, LLC.

About McNeil Nutritionals

McNeil Nutritionals, LLC is a global marketer of innovative nutritional products. The company's mission is to give people the ability to actively manage their own health. McNeil Nutritionals, LLC markets SPLENDA(R) No Calorie Sweetener, SPLENDA(R) Sugar Blend, SPLENDA(R) Brown Sugar Blend, SPLENDA(R) QUICK PACK(TM) No Calorie Sweetener Pouches, SPLENDA(R) Flavor Blends for Coffee, VIACTIV(R) Calcium Soft Chews, VIACTIV(R) Multi-Vitamin Soft Chews, VIACTIV(R) for Teens Calcium Soft Chews, VIACTIV(R) FLAVOR GLIDES(TM) Dietary Supplements, LACTAID(R) Milk and Dietary Supplements, and BENECOL(R) Spreads. McNeil Nutritionals, LLC is headquartered in Fort Washington, PA.

(1) Caravan Opinion Research Corp., Caravan Opinion Research Corporation Survey on Vitamin Supplementation, 2007

(2) Fletcher RH, Fairfield KM. Vitamins for Chronic Disease Prevention in Adults. JAMA. 2002; 287:3127-3129

(3) U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. U.S. Surgeon General's Report on Bone Health, 2004. http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2004pres/20041014.html

(4) Caravan Opinion Research Corp., Caravan Opinion Research Corporation Survey on Vitamin Supplementation, 2007.

  Media Contacts:

  Sherri Satalof
  McNeil Nutritionals
  215-273-7449
  ssatalof@mcnus.jnj.com

  Whitney MacDonald
  RF-Binder Partners
  212-994-7547
  whitney.macdonald@rfbinder.com