Sara Lee Planning New Espresso Capsules for France

Sara Lee is planning a new launch of espresso capsules for France this spring - "L'Or Espresso" The range of four capsules cover a broad flavor variety, and appear to be made of plastic with a single serve over wrapper.

"Our innovative L'OR Espresso capsules will provide consumers with delicious espresso coffee of the highest quality, conveniently available at major retail stores," said Frank van Oers, chief executive officer of Sara Lee's International Beverage and Bakery division. "Our product offers consumers another way of enjoying L'OR Maison du Cafe(R), a brand they have known and loved for many years, particularly for its quality and innovation."

"L'OR Espresso capsules come in four varieties: Delizioso, Decaffeinato, Splendente and Forza that differ in intensity, smoothness and roundness - from the milder Delizioso to the stronger Forza. All varieties are made with only 100% Arabica coffee and are fully UTZ-certified, guaranteeing that the coffee was grown and harvested in a socially and environmentally sustainable way."

The capsules are Nespresso compatible, so they will apparently fit in any of your Nespresso machines; not something Nespresso is happy about I am sure. Nespresso is Nestle's fastest growing brand, and Sara Lee plans on selling these capsules at a price point about 10% - 20% less than Nespresso's.

Full Press Release after the jump.....

- L'OR Espresso Capsules Will be Available in Retail Stores in France on April 7

- Nespresso(R) is a Registered Trademark of Societe des Produits Nestle S.A., a Company not Associated With Sara Lee

Sara Lee Corp. (NYSE: SLE) announced today it has developed a new espresso capsule that is compatible with Nespresso(R) coffee appliances. The new product, L'OR Espresso capsules, will be available in retail stores in France as of April 7.

L'OR Espresso capsules come in four varieties: Delizioso, Decaffeinato, Splendente and Forza that differ in intensity, smoothness and roundness - from the milder Delizioso to the stronger Forza. All varieties are made with only 100% Arabica coffee and are fully UTZ-certified, guaranteeing that the coffee was grown and harvested in a socially and environmentally sustainable way.

"We have a very compelling proposition that brings more choice to the marketplace," added Van Oers. "L'OR Espresso capsules have been well received by our retail customers in France and we look forward to a very successful consumer launch."

As part of its ongoing commitment to sustainability, Sara Lee is the world's leading buyer of UTZ Certified coffee. The company recently announced a commitment to source 40,000 tons of UTZ Certified coffee in 2010: a 33-percent increase over 2009 levels.

Innovation continues to play a key role in Sara Lee's growth plans. The company has built a strong track record of successful innovation across different beverage channels and formats, including:

- Single serve, with the ongoing success of SENSEO(R)
- Multi-serve, with unique products such as L'OR Pepites d'Arome
- Instants, with its premium MOCCONA(R) brand
- Out-of-home with CAFITESSE(R), its proprietary liquid coffee solution

Sara Lee's International Beverage division operates in more than 40 countries around the world and generated $3 billion in net sales in the fiscal year ended in June 2009.

April 6, 2010

Sara Lee Planning New Espresso Capsules for France