Sep 20 2010
The Hain Celestial Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: HAIN), a leading natural and organic products company providing consumers with A Healthy Way of Life™, today announced the launch of its co-branded Earth's Best® and Zhi Ling Tong organic infant formula in China through its Hutchison Hain Organic Holdings Limited ("Hutchison Hain Organic") joint venture. The product is produced in Switzerland under an exclusive agreement with an independent supplier and has completed the China importation and certification process with approval from the Guangdong Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau of The People's Republic of China and a certificate of organic certification from the China Organic Food Certification Centre.
Zhi Ling Tong is a premium infant nutrition brand in China from Hutchison China Meditech, Ltd, (AIM-HCM) ("Chi-Med"), and Earth's Best is a leading brand of organic baby food in the United States and Canada from Hain Celestial. Hutchison Hain Organic began marketing and distributing selected Hain Celestial products earlier this year through A.S. Watson and PARKnSHOP stores in Asia.
"Our entry into the Chinese market through Hutchison Hain Organic continues with Chi-Med's highly regarded Zhi Ling Tong brand of infant products working together with our Earth's Best brand," said Irwin D. Simon, President and Chief Executive Officer of Hain Celestial. "As a leading natural and organic company in North American and Europe, we are excited to introduce a high quality, organic infant formula produced in Switzerland specific to the needs of the Chinese market."
Based upon independent research data, Chi-Med estimates that the infant formula market was estimated at approximately $3.4 billion sales in China in 2009. At the end of 2009 Zhi Ling Tong was being sold through 13 sales offices across China covering more than 130 cities either through over 80 wholesalers or direct to over 50 national supermarket chains, over 30 drug store chains, and approximately 3,600 mother/baby shops and 1,200 hospitals.
"We believe this commercial network in China provides a strong framework upon which to launch organic infant formula. Furthermore, we believe that mothers who trust and have used Zhi Ling Tong super premium pregnancy supplements, would be inclined to try our organic infant formula upon the birth of their baby," said Christian Hogg, Chief Executive Officer of Chi-Med. "The importance to China's families of the welfare of their children, coupled with increasing affluence and awareness of past quality issues, create a major opportunity for a world-class, organic certified, infant food product range in China. Through our close partnership with Hain Celestial over the past two years, we have created what we believe to be one of the most premium infant formula products available on the China market. We believe the scope to build sales and market share is considerable."
SOURCE The Hain Celestial Group, Inc.
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