Piveg Wins Against Contempt Motion

Des Moines, Iowa (April 25, 2007) – PIVEG (Pigmentos Vegetales Del Centro S.A. De C. V., Celaya, Mexico) today successfully defended another attempt by Kemin Industries, Inc. to use claims of patent infringement to prohibit PIVEG from selling its purified lutein products in the USA.

In a hearing at the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa in Des Moines, the Court found in favor of PIVEG and determined that there was no basis for a Kemin motion filed in December 2006 claiming that PIVEG had ignored a previously issued injunction order concerning a production process for purified lutein. The Court denied Kemin’s claim for damages or any other relief.

Piveg is a family owned and operated manufacturer of purified lutein and zeaxanthin ingredients for over thirty years. Headquartered in Celaya, Mexico, with offices in San Diego, CA and Houston, TX, PIVEG markets its products worldwide. The PIVEG Production facility is GMP and ISO: 9001:2000 Certified. PIVEG manages the production process from its own seeds and controlled growers, to the finished concentrates. PIVEG products include purified powders, beadlets, oils, and esters of Lutein and Zeaxanthin. Cold water dispersible, vegetarian and starch (sugar) free forms are recent PIVEG developments finding useful and healthful application in nutritional and food supplementation.

PIVEG’s stated mission is to be the best and most cost effective option for lutein and zeaxanthin available to the industry, offering tailored production, packaging, and delivery, together with cost effective application and the most varied product forms available.