MUNDELEIN, Ill., Sept. 10 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Fiber Gel Technologies, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Circle Group Holdings, Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: CRGQ - News), has successfully completed Phase One of its Z-Trim prototype manufacturing optimization program with significant achievements in two major product areas.

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The Fiber Gel testing team led by Triveni P. Shukla, Ph.D., Vice President of Technology Development has completed a series of improvements to the manufacturing process in its developmental manufacturing facility for its corn-based Z-Trim commercial fat reduction products that yielded significant reductions in BTU consumption, water requirements, total time cycle and attendant labor costs.

During the same prototype test program, Dr. Shukla's team successfully made Z-Trim from oat, producing an important new fiber based commercial fat replacement product directed to manufacturers of oat based baked goods and snack foods. This offers these producers the advantage of lower costs for raw materials compared to the similar corn bran ingredients.

"We accomplished our objectives of producing a series of powder, hydrogel and emulsion Z-Trim products much faster than we had anticipated," said Dr. Shukla, "and it was important for our team to prove that these could be accomplished with significant cost savings under rigorous real world manufacturing conditions. We now can demonstrate to food manufacturers a favorable cost equation in their quest for replacing fats in their products."

Circle Group CEO Gregory Halpern was delighted by the results of the Fiber Gel optimization program. "The Z-Trim team achieved all of its early stage milestones and delivered detailed baseline data that will enable the company to accelerate its manufacturing facility planning and commission engineering proposals," said Halpern. "This brings an important new element to the marketplace for all manufacturers and consumers who are concerned about the dangers of obesity and seeking improved nutritional products that can lead to better health."

In the year since the Fiber Gel's acquisition by Circle Group Holdings, Fiber Gel Technologies has been introducing food manufacturers to the advantages offered by Z-Trim as an all-natural, zero calorie fat replacement product developed by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Research Service.

Z-Trim is a superior and rational food ingredient that can be used by manufacturers to decrease fat and calories and increase insoluble fiber in a variety of products, including cheeses, baked goods, meat products, dressings, confectionary products and a wide range of other prepared foods. By using Z-Trim, these products maintain desirable tastes and mouth-feel properties similar to those of full-fat foods.

About Fiber Gel Technologies

Fiber Gel owns the worldwide rights to Z-Trim for all fields of use. Developed by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Z-Trim is a patented, zero calorie, multi-functional, fiber food ingredient that lowers calories in most foods without affecting taste or texture. For more information about Fiber Gel Technologies, visit https://ztrim.com/.

About Circle Group Holdings, Inc.

Circle Group Holdings, Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: CRGQ; www.crgq.com/ ), is a pioneer of emerging technology companies. The Company provides small business infrastructure, funding and substantial intellectual capital to bring important and timely life-changing technologies to market through all early phases of the commercialization process. This press release and prior releases are available on the Company's web site at www.crgq.com/HTML/breakingNews.html .

Forward-Looking Statements

Statements made in this news release that relate to future plans, events or performances are forward-looking statements. Any statement containing words such as "believes" "anticipates" "plans" or "expects" and other statements which are not historical facts contained in this release are forward-looking, and these statements involve risks and uncertainties and are based on current expectations. Consequently, actual results could differ materially from the expectations expressed in these forward-looking statements. Reference is made to the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission for a more complete discussion of such risks and uncertainties.

     Contact:  Greg Halpern
     Voice:    847-549-6002
     Email:    [email protected]