The Cheesecake Factory(R) Remakes an 'Original' Favorite With SPLENDA(R) Brand Sweetener FORT WASHINGTON, Pa., July 6 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The Cheesecake Factory Incorporated, McNeil Nutritionals, a division of McNeil-PPC, Inc., and Tate & Lyle PLC, today announced that the upscale casual full service restaurant company known for its extensive menu offerings, including over 50 varieties of cheesecakes and other baked desserts, will offer its guests the 6 Carb Original Cheesecake(TM) sweetened with SPLENDA(R) Brand Sweetener, the no calorie sweetener that is made from sugar, so it tastes like sugar. SPLENDA(R) No Calorie Sweetener, the number one no calorie sugar alternative in U.S. retail outlets, recently launched into the Food Service arena with incredible success. Dining establishments large and small are making room for SPLENDA(R) Packets, as has The Cheesecake Factory in its 77 locations across the U.S. The offering of high quality cheesecakes and other baked desserts remain a cornerstone of The Cheesecake Factory's identity. The introduction of SPLENDA(R) on both its tables and as an ingredient in one of the restaurant's most popular menu items reinforces The Cheesecake Factory's commitment to providing guests with exceptional-tasting, premium choices. "Our guests have come to expect a wide range of great tasting menu options from our restaurants. With SPLENDA(R) Brand Sweetener, we are able to further that tradition by offering a lower carbohydrate alternative both on the table and as one of the key ingredients in our most popular dessert," said Howard Gordon, SVP Business Development & Marketing, The Cheesecake Factory Incorporated. "Consumers today are looking for ways to reduce sugar in their diet both at home and when dining out. Now with SPLENDA(R) Brand Sweetener one can have the best of both worlds -- delicious desserts like the 6 Carb Original Cheesecake(TM), with all the great taste of the original favorite but without all the extra carbs and calories that come from sugar," said John Leahy, Marketing Director, McNeil Nutritionals. The latest in a line of amazing signature cheesecakes from The Cheesecake Factory, the 6 Carb Original Cheesecake(TM) sweetened with SPLENDA(R) Brand will roll out in their restaurants across the country beginning Tuesday, July 6, 2004. The 6 Carb Original Cheesecake(TM) introduces a new way to indulge with a reduction in carbohydrates and sugar as compared to their Original Cheesecake recipe. About The Cheesecake Factory The Cheesecake Factory Incorporated operates 77 upscale, casual dining restaurants under The Cheesecake Factory(R) name that offer an extensive menu of more than 200 selections. Also, the company presently operates three super- upscale casual dining restaurants under the Grand Lux Cafe(R) name as well as a bakery production facility that produces over 50 varieties of quality cheesecakes and other baked products for The Cheesecake Factory restaurants and for other leading foodservice operators, retailers and distributors nationwide. About McNeil Nutritionals McNeil Nutritionals, a division of McNeil-PPC, Inc., with headquarters in Fort Washington, PA, is a global marketer of innovative nutritional products that are validated by science. Its major brands include SPLENDA(R) No Calorie Sweetener, VIACTIV(R) Soft Calcium Chews, LACTAID(R) Milk and Dietary Supplements and BENECOL(R) Spreads and SoftGels, both proven to help reduce cholesterol. About Tate & Lyle Tate & Lyle is a global leader in renewable ingredients. Its core competence is to take corn, wheat or sugar, and add value to these raw materials through technology. As a result of continuous innovation it offers an ever-wider product portfolio of versatile and functional ingredients. These products include starches, sucralose, cereal sweeteners, sugars and fermented ingredients such as citric acid. Tate & Lyle products have wide applications in the food, beverage, pharmaceutical, cosmetic, paper, packaging and building industries. With headquarters in London, Tate & Lyle operates more than 41 plants and 20 additional production facilities in 28 countries, almost all in Europe and the Americas. DATASOURCE: The Cheesecake Factory Incorporated; McNeil Nutritionals CONTACT: Howard Gordon of The Cheesecake Factory Incorporated, +1-310-600-2080, ; or Catherine Grayson-Roper of McNeil Nutritionals, +1-732-524-6372, ; or Chris Fox of Tate & Lyle PLC, +44-20-7626-6525, Web site: http://www.thecheesecakefactory.com/

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