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Align Daily Probiotic Supplement Meets New Consumer Guidelines

Contacts:
Velvet Gogol Bennett
Procter & Gamble
(513) 622-4734
gogolbennett.vc@pg.com

Jaclyn Buccellato
MS&L Worldwide
(212) 468-3839
Jaclyn.Buccellato@mslworldwide.com

Align® Daily Probiotic Supplement Meets New Consumer Guidelines

Align with Bifantis® meets high standards set by independent scientific association to help consumers choose credible probiotic products

CINCINNATI—February 5, 2009—According to a new set of guidelines unveiled yesterday by The International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics (ISAPP), there are five key criteria that consumers should consider when selecting a probiotic product—strain specificity, clinical proof, packaging, and the quality and quantity of probiotics in a product. The Procter & Gamble daily probiotic supplement Align fully meets these criteria, making it a good option for those who want to build and maintain a natural defense against abdominal discomfort and episodic digestive upsets such as bloating, constipation, diarrhea, gas, and urgency.*

Titled "The P's and Q's of Probiotics," these criteria were developed to help consumers select credible, effective probiotic products in a crowded market.

"These new guidelines set a high standard that few probiotic products currently on the market can meet," said Susan Abeln, R.Ph. Principal Scientist, Procter & Gamble Research and Development. "With Align, P&G has been committed to ensuring the highest quality, every step of the way—from research to manufacturing to packaging. Align already has strong clinical proof behind it, and the fact that Align meets these guidelines is just further proof for why it is recommended by some of the world’s leading gastroenterologists.”

Below is an outline of how Align meets "The Ps and Qs of Probiotics," which were reviewed and approved by respected researchers across the United States, Canada, and Europe.

• Probiotic Strain: Bifidobacterium infantis 35624 (the unique strain trademarked as Bifantis) is the sole ingredient in Align and belongs to the well-researched Bifidobacterium family. Bifantis has been clinically proven to help strengthen the body’s natural defenses and play an important role in basic digestion, proper metabolism, and overall well-being. Align is the only probiotic supplement that contains Bifantis.

• Proof: Bifantis has been independently tested and evaluated in randomized, controlled human clinical trials. The resulting Bifantis data has been published in top medical journals such as Gastroenterology and The American Journal of Gastroenterology. Peer-reviewed journals, including The New England Journal of Medicine, Public Library of Science, and Nutrition in Clinical Practice continue to cite the benefits and clinical effectiveness of Bifantis.

• Quality and Quantity: DNA testing guarantees the purity of Align and that the product packaging and labeling meets all World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations, and clearly states the following:
  • Probiotic Strain: Bifidobacterium infantis 35624 (Bifantis)
  • Colony Forming Units (CFU): 1 x 109 (1 billion) live bacteria
  • Suggested serving size: Take one capsule daily, every day
  • Health Benefits: Clinically proven to build and maintain a natural defense against episodic constipation, diarrhea, urgency, gas and bloating*
  • Proper storage conditions: Store at room temperature, no refrigeration required
  • Corporate contact information: AlignGI.com, (800) 208-0112

• Packaging: Align contains 1 x 109 (1 billion) CFU of live bacteria when manufactured, and provides an effective level until at least the "best by" date printed on the package. Align capsules are stored in specially designed blister packs that ensures the bacteria will remain alive and effective until consumption or until the expiration date printed on the box.

The complete guidelines are available on ISAPP's Web site, www.ISAPP.net.

Align is currently available online at www.AlignGI.com, via phone at (800) 208-0112, and through local pharmacists and select retailers.

About Align
Align is a daily probiotic supplement that helps build and maintain a strong and healthy digestive system.* Align works by providing a natural defense against episodic digestive upsets such as constipation, diarrhea, abdominal discomfort, urgency, gas, and bloating. Align is the only probiotic supplement containing the probiotic ingredient Bifantis (Bifidobacterium infantis 35624).

Bifantis is the natural probiotic strain in Align. The specific and pure strain Bifantis is clinically proven to build and maintain a strong, healthy digestive system. Align is the only probiotic supplement that contains Bifantis. Experts believe the benefits of probiotics are strain specific, and no other probiotic strain is backed by the strength of the clinical data supporting Bifantis. Please visit AlignGI.com for more information.

Visit www.AlignGI.com and www.Bifantis.com for more information.

About Procter & Gamble (NYSE:PG)
Three billion times a day, P&G brands touch the lives of people around the world. The company has one of the strongest portfolios of trusted, quality, leadership brands, including Pampers®, Tide®, Ariel®, Always®, Whisper®, Pantene®, Mach3®, Bounty®, Dawn® Pringles®, Charmin®, Downy®, Lenor®, Iams®, Crest®, Oral-B®, Actonel®, Duracell®, Olay®, Head & Shoulders®, Wella, Gillette®, and Braun. The P&G community consists of almost 140,000 employees working in over 80 countries worldwide. Please visit http://www.pg.com for the latest news and in-depth information about P&G and its brands.
* These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.