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CABOT® INTRODUCES 50% REDUCED FAT CHEDDAR WITH OMEGA-3 DHA

Each One-Ounce Serving Provides 32mg of Renewable, Vegetarian Source Omega-3 DHA — 20% of The Recommended 160mg Daily Requirement

CABOT, Vt. (September 4, 2008) — Omega-3 DHA is something most Americans simply don’t get enough of. But Cabot, Makers of the World’s Best Cheddar, wants to change that by introducing our new 50% Reduced Fat Cheddar Cheese with Omega-3 DHA. Research studies1 link Omega-3 DHA to a wide range of important health benefits including heart health and proper brain and eye function. There is also a large and growing body of scientific evidence demonstrating that people of all ages, from infants to aging adults, benefit from an adequate supply of Omega-3 DHA in the diet.

Cabot’s 50% Reduced Fat Cheddar Cheese with Omega-3 DHA is the first cheese product on the U.S. Market to feature life’sDHA™. It is now available in Charlotte, NC and Washington, D.C. It will be available across the U.S. Northeast this fall, and is expected to be available nationwide in early 2009.

What is Omega-3 DHA? Omega-3 DHA is a fatty acid found in the human body; the highest concentrations of DHA are found in the brain, nervous system and the retina of the eye. The more DHA consumed in one’s diet, the more DHA is available to support good health in these tissues.

Cabot 50% Reduced Fat Cheddar is produced with Martek Bioscience’s life’sDHA™ - an all vegetarian-derived and sustainable source of Omega-3 DHA made from algae. It is not genetically modified, has no risk of ocean-borne pollutants, and is currently used to fortify foods, beverages, dietary supplements and more than 95 percent of infant formulas manufactured in the U.S. Martek’s life’sDHA™ also ‘gets to the source’ by extracting the
DHA directly from micro algae, instead of from the oil of fish, which get the DHA from the algae in their food chain. That’s important because children, pregnant women and nursing mothers have been advised to limit their intake of fish to 2 servings per week in order to avoid potential contaminants found in many fish sources such as mercury.

“We’re very excited about the introduction of our 50% Reduced Fat Cheddar with Omega-3 DHA,” said Cabot CEO, Dr. Richard Stammer. “We’re constantly looking at ways to improve our products and provide consumers with healthy, great tasting cheddar. This new product provides consumers with an excellent source of Omega-3. It helps promote better health and nutrition for people of all ages, and it doesn’t alter the taste or consistency of the cheese.”

Who benefits from DHA?
• Pregnant Women – supports a healthy pregnancy and fetus
• Infants/Children – supports visual and cognitive development and function
• Children/Adults – supports brain, eye and cardiovascular health
• Adults – Research (1) suggests DHA may also help reduce the risk of memory loss, dementia, and Alzheimer’s disease.

Everyone requires DHA. Cells in the brain, retina, heart and other parts of the nervous system have connecting arms that transport electrical currents sending messages throughout the body. DHA ensures the optimal composition of these cells for the most effective transmission of these signals. Fortunately, most people have some DHA in their diet, but the average American diet is low in DHA. Low levels of DHA have been correlated with memory loss, mood swings and other mental and visual conditions.

Health benefits for foods high in Omega-3 fatty acids have also been found to:
• Reduce inflammation throughout your body
• Maintain the fluidity of cell membranes
• Lower the amount of fats such as cholesterol and triglycerides in the bloodstream
• Decrease platelet aggregation, preventing excessive blood clotting
• Help prevent cancer cell growth

The Dietary Reference Intake report from the Institute of Medicine set the Adequate Intake (AI)(2) for omega-3 DHA at 160mg per day (one ounce of Cabot’s 50% Reduced Fat Cheddar with Omega-3 DHA contains 20% of this recommended daily value or 32mg. NOTE: The nutritional value of Cabot’s 50% Reduced Fat Cheddar Cheese remains stable for the length of the product’s shelf life.

Compared to regular Cabot Cheddar, each 1-ounce serving of Cabot 50% Reduced Fat Cheddar has: 50% less fat (8g of protein); No Lactose (20% DV Calcium); 30% Less Sodium than cheese with 2% milk (Less than 1g Carbs), and melts easily and evenly.

Cabot Health Programs Manager and spokesperson Sara Wing, RD, notes there are numerous benefits to the new 50% Reduced Fat Cheddar with Omega-3 DHA. Wing recommends one of the company’s latest recipe creations as a healthy and tasty way to enjoy the new product.

“People often think that because something is healthy it probably does not taste good,” Wing says. “But that’s not true. A good example of this is our new Chicken Tortilla Soup recipe made with 50% Reduced Fat Cheddar with Omega-3 DHA. This is an easy-to-make recipe that is not just tasty, it’s good for you. The reduced fat content, coupled with the numerous benefits of Omega-3 DHA, make this recipe a healthy choice all around.”


CABOT CHICKEN TORTILLA SOUP
(Makes 8 servings)

1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
4 cups water
½ cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon canola oil
4 cups reduced-sodium canned chicken broth
16 ounces fresh or frozen white corn
1 (10-ounce) can diced tomatoes with green chiles
Corn tortilla chips
1 (6-ounce) package Cabot’s 50% Reduced Fat Omega-3 DHA Cheddar, grated

1. In saucepan, combine chicken breasts and water. Bring to gentle simmer and cook just until set in center.

2. Meanwhile, in medium skillet over medium heat, combine onion, garlic and oil; cook, stirring, until onions are tender. Set aside.

3. Transfer cooked chicken to plate to cool. Strain cooking liquid into another saucepan.

4. Add canned broth to cooking liquid and bring to simmer. Add corn and cook for 5 minutes. Add tomatoes and reserved onion mixture and cook until heated through.

5. In each of eight large soup bowls, arrange about 8 tortilla chips. Shred cooled chicken and divide among bowls. Ladle hot soup over chips and chicken; top with grated cheese.

Nutrition Analysis: Calories 312, Total Fat 16g, Saturated Fat 5g, Sodium 887mg, Carbohydrates 15g, Dietary Fiber 2g, Protein 28g, Calcium 220mg, 32% DV Omega-3 DHA

For more information on Cabot 50% Reduced Fat Cheddar, visit www.Omegacheddar.com

For other healthy Cabot recipes, visit www.cabotcheese.coop/recipes

ABOUT CABOT CREAMERY COOPERATIVE Cabot Creamery Cooperative has been in continuous operation in Vermont since 1919 and is most widely known as makers of “The World’s Best Cheddar and World’s Best Lowfat Cheddar.” Cabot is owned by the dairy farm families of Agri-Mark, the Northeast’s premier dairy cooperative. For additional information on Cabot Creamery, please visit www.cabotcheese.coop

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(1)For more details on the research conducted on DHA, visit
www.lifesdha.com/
(2) Adequate intakes are established when a Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for a nutrient cannot be set.