The Hain Celestial Group Proposes Back-to-Basics Approach to Product Labeling

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Thu Oct 29, 2009 8:01am EDT

Leading Natural and Organic Products Company Proposes Truth in Labeling
Standards for All Food Products




MELVILLE, N.Y., Oct. 29 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ --The Hain Celestial Group,
Inc. a leading natural and organic products company, today called upon all
consumer packaged goods companies to adopt truth in labeling standards.  These
standards would clearly identify product benefits without masking product
negatives by simply addressing actual ingredient and health benefits on
packaging in a clear and consistent manner.  Recent controversy over
front-of-package labeling programs and practices has inspired Hain Celestial
to assist consumers in making informed purchase decisions. 

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"We have long been troubled by packaging practices that lead consumers to
believe that a product is healthful, when natural ingredients are just a very
small percentage of the product and are accompanied by detrimental ones,"
stated Irwin D. Simon, President and Chief Executive Officer of The Hain
Celestial Group, Inc.  "For many years, we have advocated "A Healthy Way of
Life(TM)" in which the enjoyment of food, including healthful snacking, can be
managed without including harmful ingredients.  It is time that the consumer
packaged goods industry stops practices that create consumer confusion by
front-labeling products as natural and healthful.  Too often these products
contain certain natural ingredients or nutrients, but then they also contain
artificial flavors, colors, and preservatives as well as highly processed and
refined ingredients, often only disclosed in the ingredient statement in small
type on the package back.  Misleading labeling also includes labeling a
product as 'healthful' despite its containing high levels of sodium, fat and
sugar.  At Hain Celestial, our natural products contain only 100% natural
ingredients, as we continuously work with our nutritionists to improve the
nutritional quality of Hain Celestial products across our portfolio," he
continued. 

Hain Celestial has published a guide to understanding "The 'ABCs' of Natural",
which is available at www.ahealthywayoflife.com.  The Company calls to action
all consumer packaged goods companies to adopt standards for natural and
healthful products that use a similar model to the National Organic Program
("NOP") standards published by the United States Department of Agriculture
("USDA").  These standards require any product to be at least 95% organic
before stating it is organic, and that the remaining ingredients to only be
taken from the NOP approved list.  Hain Celestial offers over 1,400 organic
products that already meet these labeling requirements.  Natural claims on
products should follow suit. 

"With 'natural' being the second most widely used claim on new products
introduced in 2008 in the U.S. according to Mintel, and additional labeling
programs being used to identify products with healthy attributes, it is time
for companies to restrict the use of natural claims and accompany them with
meaningful nutritional information that is consistent.  We applaud the U.S.
Food and Drug Administration's (the "FDA") efforts to review these practices.
However, we urge the FDA to not only consider sugar, sodium and fat claims,
but to also look at the character of the products and their ingredients.  In
addition to the quality of ingredients, it is the overall labeling practices
themselves which require scrutiny," concluded Irwin Simon.

For more information on the ABCs of natural ingredients and nutrition, visit
www.ahealthywayoflife.com.  For more information on Hain Celestial, visit
www.hain-celestial.com.

The Hain Celestial Group
The Hain Celestial Group (Nasdaq: HAIN), headquartered in Melville, NY, is a
leading natural and organic products company in North America and Europe. Hain
Celestial participates in most natural categories with well-known brands that
include Celestial Seasonings®, Earth's Best®, Terra®, Garden of Eatin'®,
Health Valley®, Arrowhead Mills®, MaraNatha®, SunSpire®, DeBoles®, Gluten Free
Cafe(TM), Hain Pure Foods®, Hollywood®, Spectrum Naturals®, Spectrum
Essentials®, Walnut Acres Organic®, Imagine®, Rice Dream®, Soy Dream®,
Rosetto®, Ethnic Gourmet®, WestSoy®, Yves Veggie Cuisine®, Granose®, Realeat®,
Linda McCartney®, Daily Bread(TM), Lima®, Natumi®, JASON®, Zia® Natural
Skincare, Avalon Organics®, Alba Botanica®,  Tushies® and TenderCare®.  Hain
Celestial has been providing "A Healthy Way of Life(TM)" since 1993.  For more
information, visit www.hain-celestial.com.


SOURCE  The Hain Celestial Group, Inc.

Mary Anthes, The Hain Celestial Group, Inc., +1-631-730-2200
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