GLG Life Tech Corporation Announces New reb m Agricultural Patents

Vancouver, British Columbia (FSCwire) - GLG Life Tech Corporation (TSX: GLG) (“GLG” or the “Company”), a global leader in the agricultural and commercial development of high-quality zero-calorie natural sweeteners, is pleased to provide an important update regarding three new patent filings for the development of Non-GMO high Rebaudioside M stevia plants.

Recently, the global food and beverage market has seen increasing demand for next generation natural, clean label, low-calorie sweeteners for use in consumer products, driven by more health-conscious populations that seek to reduce sugar and replace it with low-calorie natural alternatives.  The predominant industry focal point has been Rebaudioside M (Reb M) – a naturally-occurring glycoside in the steviol glycoside family – which has the most sucrose-like flavor profile of all known glycosides; in terms of taste profile and sweetness, it is vastly superior to the stevia extracts (largely Rebaudioside A, or Reb A) generally found in the market today. 

In terms of economics of production, however, Rebaudioside M has proved challenging, as it commonly occurs only in low proportion to other major glycosides such as Reb A.  Meanwhile, GLG’s agriculture team has been hard at work addressing the challenge through innovative yet natural agricultural methods.  Building on its successes in iteratively developing high-Reb M stevia strains, the team recently filed a trio of patents with the Beijing patent office in China.  GLG also expects to file for international protection on these patents through the Patent Cooperation Treaty.

Based on the hard work and extensive agronomic experience of our R&D team, these patent filings detail important and innovative non-GMO methods for the promotion of Reb M in the stevia leaf.  Results from these three methods included a 117% increase in Reb M and a 174% increase in Reb M (relative to the leaf variety to which these methods were applied), as well as the development of stevia leaf that, while low in total steviol glycosides (TSG), had TSG comprising a remarkable 61% of Reb M.

The GLG team is in the process of utilizing and expanding on these methods to bring to market Reb M extracts produced from Reb M molecules sourced purely from leaf.  GLG expects this approach to result in Reb M extracts that are deemed more natural, more label-friendly, and more desirable than other approaches.  GLG also expects that its more natural approach will prove to be cost-competitive with, if not more economical than, these other less label-friendly methods.  GLG’s R&D team is also working on other non-GMO approaches to increase glycoside content including Reb M.

For further information, please contact:

Simon Springett, Investor Relations

Phone: +1 (604) 285-2602 ext. 101

Fax: +1 (604) 285-2606

Email: ir@glglifetech.com

About GLG Life Tech Corporation

GLG Life Tech Corporation is a global leader in the supply of high-purity zero calorie natural sweeteners including stevia and monk fruit extracts used in food, beverages, and dietary supplements.  GLG’s vertically integrated operations, which incorporate our Fairness to Farmers program and emphasize sustainability throughout, cover each step in the stevia and monk fruit supply chains including non-GMO seed and seedling breeding, natural propagation, growth and harvest, proprietary extraction and refining, marketing and distribution of the finished products.  Additionally, to further meet the varied needs of the food and beverage and supplement industries, GLG’s Naturals+ product line enables it to supply a host of complementary ingredients reliably sourced through its supplier network in China.  For further information, please visit www.glglifetech.com.

Forward-looking statements: This press release may contain certain information that may constitute “forward-looking statements” and “forward looking information” (collectively, “forward-looking statements”) within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Often, but not always, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as “plans”, “expects” or “does not expect”, “is expected”, “budget”, “scheduled”, “estimates”, “forecasts”, “intends”, “anticipates” or “does not anticipate”, or “believes” or variations of such words and phrases or words and phrases that state or indicate that certain actions, events or results “may”, “could”, “would”, “might” or “will” be taken, occur or be achieved.

While the Company has based these forward-looking statements on its current expectations about future events, the statements are not guarantees of the Company’s future performance and are subject to risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from future results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include amongst others the effects of general economic conditions, consumer demand for our products and new orders from our customers and distributors, changing foreign exchange rates and actions by government authorities, uncertainties associated with legal proceedings and negotiations, industry supply levels, competitive pricing pressures and misjudgments in the course of preparing forward-looking statements. Specific reference is made to the risks set forth under the heading “Risk Factors” in the Company’s Annual Information Form published March 31, 2018.  In light of these factors, the forward-looking events discussed in this press release might not occur.

Further, although the Company has attempted to identify factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

As there can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.

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