News Release For immediate release

November 8, 2010

Strauss Group Launches Fresh Cut Salads using SLB™ Technology

Strauss Group Ltd., Israel, launches its fresh-cut salads line using Hefestus’
innovative packaging system solution with SLB™ technology (Shelf Life
Booster) to overcome shelf-life challenges.

Hefestus, Israel, completed a successful installation of its automatic

packaging-solution system using SLB™ technology for the Strauss Ltd. fresh-
cut salads line in Israel. Strauss, one of the world’s largest food companies,
examined multiple advanced packaging solutions for extending the shelf-life
of fresh-cut vegetables and salads. They set several strict parameters to help
them determine the right system:

• Extension of fresh-cut vegetable and salad product shelf life

dramatically to enable significant savings and improvement across the
entire supply chain, from manufacturer to consumer

• Fewer returns or discards, lower costs, reduced impact on the

environment and increased satisfaction from consumers

• Keeping freshness ‘look & feel’ in fresh-cut salads

• Packing trays fast and efficiently

“Strauss had a fresh-cut salad line that did not match the retailers’ and
consumers’ high expectations for freshness and long shelf life,” explains
Oded Shtemer, Hefestus President & CEO. “Hefestus’ SLB technology
enables them to meet these expectations and maintain their leadership in
the fresh-cut salad products market.”

Fresh vegetable consumption in Israel is one of the highest among western

countries, at 180 kg per person per year. The fresh vegetable salads market
in Israel is estimated at NIS436 million and the fresh-cut vegetables market
at NIS76 million.

“Many manufacturers and marketers of fresh-cut vegetables face serious

obstacles in marketing their products,” notes Shtemer.”We’re able to provide
a comprehensive packaging solution that significantly extends fresh-cut
salad product shelf life and answers the consumer’s needs for fresh and
tasty, ready-to-eat salads.”

Although fresh-cut salads are becoming a mainstream in the market, in most

cases they have short shelf life, leading to quick degeneration and
decomposition of the product and an undesirable look with negative
palatability. SLB™ technology overcomes this challenge by providing
extended shelf life and maintains the delicate texture and freshness of the
vegetables. The advanced packaging system implemented at the Strauss
plant includes a state-of-art machine for the salad preparation and sealing,
including use of modified atmosphere (MAP) technology. As a result, it
dramatically decreases the time required to pack the fresh-cut salads as an
outcome of moving from a manual packaging machine to an automatic
packaging system, significantly improved the entire supply chain due to
fewer returns or discards, lower costs and satisfied consumers.

Hefestus’ advanced packaging system allows manufacturers and marketers

to transport fresh seafood, meat and fresh-cut fruits and vegetables products
to distant destinations without impact on product odour and appearance,
and can revolutionize the entire supply chain from manufacturer to
consumer via fewer returns or discards, lower cost, reduced impact on the
environment and more satisfied consumers.

About Strauss

Strauss Group is the second largest food and beverages company in Israel,
and the sixth coffee company in the world.

For further information, please contact:

Hefestus Ltd.
Ron Golan
Sales Director
Tel: 972 4 6271835
Fax: 972 4 6271876
Hefestus1@Hefestus-slb.com www.hefestus-slb.com