NEWS FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 16, 2005

Easy-to-Digest Snack Bar Launched for Canadian Market

Unique bar to meet the needs of those with digestive diseases

Toronto, On, May 20, 2005- With an estimated 20% of Canadians suffering from digestive issues, a new snack food has been launched for sufferers to eat with ease. The new Simply Bar, developed by the Canadian company, Wellness Foods Inc., will be available this month at health food stores across Toronto with further expected distribution in the next sixth months.

The Simply Bar, which comes in three delicious flavours, Cinnamon Vanilla, Cocoa and Ginger Flax, was developed by Cathy Richards, founder of Wellness Foods Inc, former management consultant and Crohn’s disease sufferer, to meet a gap in the snack bar market.

“It is easy to make meals that are healthy. The harder task for people with digestive issues is finding a snack food that won’t upset the stomach, especially when you’re at work or on the road. I knew that many people with Crohn’s, Colitis and IBS faced the same problems as I did and I wanted to design something to help”, said Ms Richards.

Snacks that are high in fat worsen gas and bloating, high sugar content exacerbates diarrhea, and nuts and seeds can irritate the gut. The Simply Bar balances all these needs - it is low in sugars and fat but still contains lots of nourishing protein. It is milk and gluten free and, most importantly, tastes great. All of the ingredients are readily absorbed in the upper gut by people with impaired digestion, making it a great snack not only for those with digestive diseases but also for long distance athletes, people going through radiation or those with HIV/AIDS who may all be looking for an easy-to-digest snack.

The Simply Bar was developed with the help of the Toronto Kitchen Incubator (TKI), a not-for-profit kitchen located at FoodShare, one of Toronto’s most innovative not-for-profits. At TKI new entrepreneurs can develop products and test them before committing to their own kitchen. "This is a tremendous value to fledgling entrepreneurs. It gives them an opportunity to perfect products, their labelling and delivery systems without incurring the massive costs associated with outfitting a professional kitchen ", said Doris Bercarich TKI Co-ordinator.

TKI gave Wellness Foods the chance to perfect its recipes and test out new flavours and concepts. In the 8 months that the company used the facility, 3 flavours were tested (but only 2 were ultimately selected), new markets were discovered and the packaging was redesigned to reflect these markets.

Ms Richards says, “There is a degree of flexibility when producing for yourself on a small scale. With a mass-produced product, you can’t change the label or the formula once the product is made. You are stuck with 50,000 or 100,000 bars with some flaw, be it texture, taste or packaging.”

TKI has provided this same help to many entrepreneurs over the years. It helps take ideas from conception to reality without a huge up-front cash commitment. Many people have a great recipe or formula but no idea how to get it to market. TKI can lead people through that process.

Michael Wolfson at the City of Toronto Economic Development commented, “Less than 1 out of 10 food products introduced in the GTA make it to their first birthday. Despite these failure rates, food business is an important part of the Toronto economy. In fact, the Toronto food sector is the second largest in North America. So anything that makes it easier for new businesses to succeed is good for both them and the city.”

For more information on TKI or the new Simply Bar please use the contact information provided below.

About Wellness Foods Inc.

Wellness Foods is a privately held corporation based in Toronto. The Simply Bar is available in Cinnamon Vanilla and Cocoa. The new Ginger Flax Simply Bar will be launched next month. The Simply Bar can be bought at most health food stores and at some grocery and convenience stores by the bar or by the box. For a full list of stores, please consult our website, www.wellnessfoods.ca

About the Toronto Kitchen Incubator

The Toronto Kitchen Incubator (TKI) is a fully licensed commercial kitchen that can be rented by fledgling entrepreneurs to test ideas and begin food production for the marketplace.

Media Contacts:

Wellness Foods Inc

Cathy Richards
cathy@wellnessfoods.ca
416-836-9926

Toronto Kitchen Incubator

Doris Bercarich
tki@foodshare.net
416 363-6441 ext. 235