Flor de Sal USA Chosen as Exclusive Distributor for Necton S.A.'s Belamandil & Marnoto Gourmet Sea Salt Products in North America

Necton SA completes agreement with Flor de Sal USA to serve as their North American importer and distributor. Through the completion of this agreement, Necton is poised to enter the U.S. market and bring their gourmet salt products to the U.S. specialty food market.

Olhao, Portugal October 29, 2004 -- Necton S.A. (www.necton.pt), award-winning producer of Flor de Sal and Traditional Sea Salt (under the Belamandil and Marnoto brands) from Portugal's Algarve region, today announces the selection of Flor de Sal USA (www.flordesal.net) of Seattle, Washington as the exclusive North American distributor for its gourmet sea salt products. Necton's Flor de Sal and Traditional Sea Salt will be available to restaurants and specialty food retailers throughout North America.

We are very excited about this new relationship," says Joao Navalho, one of Necton's principal partners. Flor de Sal USA's ability to import and distribute our products in the North American market will allow us to focus on what we know best -- the care of our salinas (salt pans) and the harvesting of our fine salts.

Necton S.A., a proud member of the Slow Food organization, maintains a steadfast commitment to uphold and preserve traditional methods of harvesting sea salt. Navalho notes, We were very excited to receive the Slow Food Award for the Defense of Biodiversity in 2001, simply remaining faithful to age-old harvesting methods.

Douglas Choi, Managing Partner of Flor de Sal USA, comments, We believe that Necton's gourmet sea salt products are truly the finest and most natural gourmet salt products available anywhere and we are delighted to be the first major distributor for Necton. We look forward to an enthusiastic response from the North American market, where consumers are increasingly conscious about finding products that are both healthy and great-tasting. Necton's products fit that bill perfectly.

About Necton's Gourmet Sea Salt Products:
After the winter rains have ceased, and the birds have begun their journeys back north, the salt pans (salinas) of the Belamandil, where the Atlantic Ocean meets the European coastline, are ready to be harvested. During the summer months, weather permitting -- an absence of rainfall and a dry wind from the north -- the salinas are worked by local artisans, salt harvesters (marnotos). The marnotos, on a daily basis, skim the delicate crystals forming on the top of the salt pan by hand, with the same wooden implements that have been used for millenia. The resulting brilliantly white sea salt -- Flor de Sal -- "the flower of salt" -- is a light, crumbly, melt-in-the-mouth salt that maintains all the micronutrients naturally found in ocean water and has been described by many as having hints of sweetness and creaminess, without any of the harshness commonly associated with regular table salt.

Nectons Traditional Sea Salt (Sal Marinho Tradicional), similar to Flor de Sal, is harvested by hand, but only after the salt crystals have settled on the bottom of the salina. Every three weeks, the marnotos, using similar implements and techniques as with Flor de Sal, exercise great care in harvesting Sal Marinho Tradicional. These crystals, along with Flor de Sal, are placed in piles beneath the Algarve sun, where they are naturally dried, and then sent off for packaging, with no additional processing taking place.

North American retailers interested in carrying Necton's products can contact Flor de Sal USA at (206) 407-3882 or at e-mail protected from spam bots.

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