Contact Information: Company Contacts: John Saunders Chief Executive Officer 303-895-3002 Jay Pfeiffer Pfeiffer High Investor Relations, Inc. 303-393-7044
IMI Global Introduces Simply Natural Beef(TM) as First Approved Program Under USDA's "Never, Ever 3" Program
IMI's Program Designed to Clarify "Natural" Claims on Beef Products; Open Letter to Natural Beef Producers, Retailers and Consumers
CASTLE ROCK, CO--(Marketwire - February 7, 2008) - Integrated Management Information, Inc.
(IMI Global) (OTCBB : INMG ), a leading provider of verification and Internet
solutions for the agricultural/livestock industry, today introduced Simply
Natural Beef™, the first approved program that meets the requirements of
the USDA's new "Never, Ever 3" Program for live animals and meat products.
The Simply Natural Beef program is being introduced to cattlemen from
across the nation as they gather in Reno, Nevada, for the National
Cattlemen's Beef Association (NCBA) 2008 convention and trade show February
6-9.
The purpose of the USDA's "Never, Ever 3" Program is to provide a clear
definition of live animal raising practices. The mission of IMI Global's
Simply Natural Beef™ offering is to clarify for consumers precisely what
constitutes "natural" beef. Specifically, the Never, Ever 3 Program refers
to the following raising practices: 1) No added growth hormones, 2) no
antibiotics, 3) no animal by-products in feed (excluding milk and milk
proteins).
IMI Global's Simply Natural Beef verification program was built on the back
of the Company's Non-Hormone Treated Cattle Program (NHTC), which is a
standard for meeting the stringent verification requirements of the
European Union.
"IMI Global is proud to be the first company to meet the USDA's
requirements for verifying beef as defined under the USDA's Never, Ever 3
Program," said John Saunders, president and CEO of IMI Global. "We have
worked closely with the USDA for many years in developing programs to
benefit producers, packers, processors, retailers and consumers, and our
strong, cooperative working relationship with the USDA was an important
element of our ability to be first to market with this new verification
offering."
Saunders said Simply Natural Beef benefits all levels of the supply chain.
Consumers benefit from a standardized definition of "natural"; retailers
can develop a consistent supply with a program that fits well with existing
program brands and standards; and producers benefit from a defined and
standardized program and value structure.
"Natural and organic meat is among the fastest growing segments of the
natural foods industry with an estimated $2.1 billion in annual sales,"
Saunders added. "With that figure projected to grow rapidly in coming
years, we believe our introduction of Simply Natural Beef immediately
positions IMI Global as an important player in the "natural" segment. In
addition, it opens the door to our ultimate objective of licensing our
Simply Natural Beef brand to retailers."
For information on Simply Natural Beef, go to:
http://www.usverified.com/proto/simplyNaturalBeef.html
For more information on the USDA's Never, Ever 3 program, go to:
http://processverified.usda.gov/LSNeverEver3Program.pdf
About IMI Global
Founded in 1995, IMI Global is a leading provider of verification and
Internet solutions for the agriculture industry. Go to www.IMIGlobal.com
for additional information. IMI has worked with some of the largest
agricultural organizations in the United States, providing web-based
applications for verification and identification as well as a range of
consulting services tailored to meet each customer's needs. IMI operations
include www.CattleNetwork.com, an online service offering market
information and industry news to the cattle industry, and
www.CattleStore.com, an online source for livestock supplies, such as
animal identification, medical equipment and veterinarian supplies.
Additional IMI web sites include www.USVerified.com, www.AgNetwork.com and
www.PetSupplyVerified.com.
CAUTIONARY STATEMENT
This news release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning
of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, based on
current expectations, estimates and projections that are subject to risk.
Forward-looking statements are inherently uncertain, and actual events
could differ materially from the Company's predictions. Important factors
that could cause actual events to vary from predictions include those
discussed in our SEC filings. Specifically, statements in this news
release about growth, profitability, potential, leadership, the impact and
efficacy of the Company's products and services on the marketplace are
forward-looking statements that are subject to a variety of factors,
including availability of capital, personnel and other resources;
competition, governmental regulation of the beef industry, the market for
beef and other factors. In addition, financial results for the three and
nine-month periods are not necessarily indicative of future results.
Readers should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking
statements. The Company assumes no obligation to update its
forward-looking statements to reflect new information or developments. For
a more extensive discussion of the Company's business, please refer to the
Company's SEC filings at www.sec.gov.