SWEEGEN'S BESTEVIA® REB M HEADS TO FINAL APPROVAL IN EUROPEAN UNION

Food and beverage manufacturers are one step closer to launching sugar reduced products. Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif., April 15 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Navigating sugar reduction solutions in Europe just got better for food and beverage brands. Today, SweeGen announced its next generation Bestevia Rebaudioside M (Reb M) stevia sweetener is in the final phase before the European Union publishes the approval in a few months. In anticipation of the published approval, SweeGen is fast tracking the commercial scale up of the non-GMO Bestevia Reb M at its manufacturing facility in Europe. The regulatory step is the last hurdle to satisfying the demand for the highly sought-after stevia sweetener in the EU. For the past few years, the company has been collaborating with major food and beverage manufacturers in Europe to explore application developments for creating sweet taste innovations. Now, the products are near ready to launch on the market. In conjunction with the anticipated Reb M approval, Sweegen launched its new Food and Beverage Applications Center in London in January 2021. The Center will be home to sugar reduction product development for brands in Europe. It will also serve as a creative center to explore and discover product innovations motivated by consumer trends and regional tastes. “Reaching this last stage in the EU regulatory approval process for our Bestevia Reb M is a key milestone in our journey to inspire new product launches, and provide confidence for brands that are in their final phases for creating great tasting, reduced sugar and healthier products,” said Michael Halvorsen, senior director of business development, EMEA. “Our new creative center in London allows us to help our customers reach their sugar reduction goals with new product innovations, and our European manufacturing facility in Europe enables the rapid commercialization of 3,000 metric tons of high-purity stevia per year.” Bestevia Reb M is great news for both consumers and brands. As consumers take action on reducing their sugar intake while demanding great taste, food and beverage manufacturers will have better sugar reduction solutions to meet their product challenges. “Regional access to sustainable Bestevia Reb M is very important as it provides a low cost-in-use sugar reduction solution to product developers, and with SweeGen as a supplier and applications collaborator, together, we can create consumer-winning products,” said Halvorsen. Non-GMO stevia sweeteners have led the way in replacing sugar in foods and beverages, nutritional products, and many other market products world-wide. Innova market research reported that in France, from Jan. 2019 to Aug. 2020, sports nutrition product launches using stevia increased by 43%. SweeGen offers brands cost-effective and rapid innovation for sugar reduction solutions for beverage, dairy, savory and bakery with its Bestevia Taste Solutions for Europe. SweeGen is the first company to receive the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) panel’s safety status for any steviol glycoside produced by alternative and sustainable technologies. To achieve high purity clean-tasting stevia leaf sweeteners, SweeGen uses a bioconversion process starting with stevia leaf. This process enabled SweeGen to obtain the Non-GMO Project verification for its Bestevia stevia sweeteners in the US market. “We are happy to move into this final approval step with the EU Commission because it provides our customers with confidence they need to proceed with their new product development and launches for sugar reduced innovation in Europe,” said Hadi Omrani, director of regulatory affairs. Bestevia Reb M was commercialized in 2017 and has already been approved in many regions around the world. ### About SweeGen SweeGen provides sweet taste solutions for food and beverage manufacturers around the world. We are on a mission to reduce the sugar and artificial sweeteners in our global diet. Partnering with customers, we create delicious zero-sugar products that consumers love. With the best next generation stevia sweeteners in our portfolio such as Bestevia® Rebs B, D, E, I, M, and N, along with our deep knowledge of flavor modulators and texturants, SweeGen delivers market-leading solutions that customers want and consumers prefer. For more information please contact info@sweegen.com and visit SweeGen’s website, www.sweegen.com. Cautionary Statement Concerning Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements, including, among other statements, statements regarding the future prospects for Reb M stevia leaf sweetener. These statements are based on current expectations, but are subject to certain risks and uncertainties, many of which are difficult to predict and are beyond the control of SweeGen, Inc. Relevant risks and uncertainties include those referenced in the historic filings of SweeGen, Inc. with the Securities and Exchange Commission. These risks and uncertainties could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in or implied by the forward-looking statements, and therefore should be carefully considered. SweeGen, Inc. assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements as a result of new information or future events or developments. Attachment