GERMANTOWN, MD -- (Marketwire) -- 06/19/12 -- Mars Botanical, a scientific business unit of Mars, Incorporated and the maker of CocoaVia™ daily cocoa extract supplement, announced today that CocoaVia™ supplements are now available in Vitamin World stores nationwide. For the past year, CocoaVia™ supplements were sold exclusively online and the brand sees the addition of retail distribution as an exciting next step in the process of educating people about the benefits of cocoa flavanols in its cocoa extract. With 250 mg of cocoa flavanols in every serving, CocoaVia™ supplement is a patented cocoa extract made from 100% pure cocoa. Cocoa flavanols are the good-for-you phytonutrients found in nature and they have been shown to help support healthy circulation.

"The partnership between CocoaVia supplements and Vitamin World, a leader in the supplement industry, gives us the opportunity to extend our reach to new customers and to ensure there are both online and in-store purchase options throughout the U.S.," said Jeff Nowinski, Sales Director at Mars Botanical. "This partnership will help increase awareness of the health benefits of cocoa flavanols, which have been scientifically proven to help support healthy circulation, as well as address increased consumer desire for convenient products to support their health. Our consumers have been asking for a retail option and we are excited to be able to provide another channel of distribution for their convenience."

The following CocoaVia™ supplements now are available to Vitamin World customers:

• Dark Chocolate Flavored Sweetened and Unsweetened: 30 calories per serving; tastes great in coffee, milk, yogurt, smoothies, oatmeal and more.
• Cran-Raspberry Flavored: 20 calories per serving; tastes great in water, iced tea, yogurt and smoothies.

With CocoaVia™ cocoa extract supplements you can receive the benefits of 250 mg of cocoa flavanols for 30 calories or less in a single stick pack. The convenient, single-serving stick packs have no added sugar, artificial colors, flavors or preservatives. For more information about CocoaVia™ supplements or to find a Vitamin World store near you, please visit www.CocoaVia.com/retail.

CocoaVia™ supplements may also be found at Vitamin Discount Center, as well as other fine health food stores nationwide. For the most current listing of participating retailers, visit www.CocoaVia.com/retail. Several high quality online retailers, including Puritan's Pride, Swanson Health Products, and drugstore.com, also offer the full range of CocoaVia™ products for sale via their websites.

About CocoaVia™ Cocoa Extract Supplement
The CocoaVia™ product is a powdered daily cocoa extract supplement, developed by Mars Botanical, which delivers 250 mg of cocoa flavanols in every serving. CocoaVia™ cocoa extract supplement comes in convenient, single-serving stick packs and is available in four delicious flavors with no added sugar, artificial colors, flavors or preservatives. CocoaVia™ cocoa extract supplement is made using a patented Cocoapro® process, which extracts the cocoa flavanols from the cocoa bean and protects the flavanols that are usually destroyed during normal cocoa handling and processing. For more information on the CocoaVia™ supplement product line, visit www.CocoaVia.com.

About Mars Botanical
Mars Botanical is a scientific business unit of Mars Symbioscience and is focused on research and product development involving cocoa extract and cocoa flavanols. The mission of Mars Botanical is to improve human health by commercializing cocoa flavanol products that are backed by evidence-based science, delivering proven benefits to its consumers. Mars Botanical continues to strengthen Mars, Inc.'s global scientific leadership as it investigates the health and biomedical potential of cocoa while establishing a sustainable, certified source of cocoa traceable from pod to product. For additional information on Mars Botanical visit www.MarsBotanical.com.