Lester Crawford Named to Nutrition Physiology Company Board

Former federal official to help guide food safety product introductions

OVERLAND PARK, KS — September 15, 2009 — Lester Crawford, former commissioner of the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) and former administrator of the Food Safety & Inspection Service at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), has been appointed to the board of directors of Nutrition Physiology Company (NPC), a Guymon, Okla.-based maker of all-natural, pathogen-fighting products for the beef, dairy and food processing industries.

Crawford, a veterinarian and pharmacologist, is senior counsel at Policy Directions, a Washington-based public affairs firm, where he provides strategic and regulatory guidance to food, drug and medical device company executives.

“Every year, 76 million Americans experience foodborne illness due to pathogens such as E. coli, salmonella and listeria,” Crawford said. “There is incredible urgency at FDA, USDA and across the food industry to reduce those numbers. That means identifying affordable, effective ways to prevent foodborne illness and quickly putting them into practice.”

“We have an all-natural product in development that will help reduce and prevent growth of pathogens that cause foodborne illness and slow growth of bacteria that hasten food spoilage,” said Pete Anderson, president of NPC. “As a board member, Dr. Crawford can help us navigate the regulatory environment to ensure the benefits of this product are clear to FDA and USDA officials and the food industry.”

Prior to his employment with the federal government, Crawford served in various capacities at the University of Georgia, including as chair of the Department of Physiology and Pharmacology. He also was director of the Center for Food and Nutrition Policy at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C.

Crawford has served as an expert advisor to the World Health Organization, the Singapore Health Sciences Authority and the U.S. National Academy of Sciences. And he served on the Committee on Scientific Freedom and Responsibility of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Crawford is a member of the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences, a fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine in the United Kingdom, and a fellow of the International Society of Food Science and Technology. He has authored more than 100 scientific publications and is the co-author of four books.

Crawford has a veterinary degree from Auburn University and a doctorate in pharmacology from the University of Georgia.

NPC is the North American leader in direct-fed microbial products for beef and dairy cattle and continues to expand into other geographies and markets. NPC opened offices in Overland Park, Kan., in early 2009.

In September 2008, NPC partnered with The Halifax Group to recapitalize. Halifax is a private investment firm that invests alongside owners and managers of leading small-cap companies. Halifax’s equity sponsorship and resources will allow NPC to expand its research and development activities, while supporting efforts to license or acquire new technologies.

About Nutrition Physiology Company
Nutrition Physiology Company (www.bovamine.com) has provided advanced microbial products; state-of-the-art application systems; and knowledgeable people devoted to serving the beef, dairy and food processing industries since 1993. The widely adopted NPC product line is dedicated to enhancing ruminant livestock production and food safety. Primary products include Bovamine® Rumen Culture, Bovamine Premium Dairy Culture and LactiGuard™.

Bovamine Rumen Culture and Bovamine Premium Dairy Culture contain a patented combination of Lactobacillus acidophilus and Propionibacterium freudenreichii to provide unique metabolic results that support superior performance and animal health. LactiGuard includes carefully selected lactic acid bacteria isolates that inhibit pathogen growth under refrigerated conditions without growing themselves. LactiGuard has been granted Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) status by FDA for use in all meat and poultry products.

About The Halifax Group
The Halifax Group is a private equity firm that specializes in partnering with managers and entrepreneurs to recapitalize and grow lower middle-market businesses across a variety of industries, including health services, wellness, infrastructure and business services. The firm maintains offices in Washington, D.C.; Dallas, Texas; and Raleigh, N.C. For more information, please visit www.thehalifaxgroup.com.

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