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                                                                     Exhibit 4.4

                                U.S.$ 225,000,000

                                MERISANT COMPANY

                    9 1/2% SENIOR SUBORDINATED NOTES DUE 2013

                          REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT

                                                                   July 11, 2003

Credit Suisse First Boston LLC
Wachovia Securities, LLC
Banc One Capital Markets, Inc.
c/o Credit Suisse First Boston LLC
   Eleven Madison Avenue
   New York, New York 10010-3629

Ladies and Gentlemen:

     Merisant Company, a Delaware corporation (the "ISSUER"), proposes to issue
and sell to Credit Suisse First Boston LLC, Wachovia Securities, LLC and Banc
One Capital Markets, Inc. (collectively, the "INITIAL PURCHASERS"), upon the
terms set forth in a purchase agreement, dated June 27, 2003 (the "PURCHASE
AGREEMENT"), U.S.$225,000,000 aggregate principal amount of its 9 1/2% Senior
Subordinated Notes due 2013 (the "INITIAL SECURITIES") to be guaranteed (the
"GUARANTIES") by its subsidiaries Merisant US, Inc. and Merisant Foreign
Holdings I, Inc. (the "GUARANTORS" and, collectively with the Issuer, the
"COMPANY"). The Initial Securities will be issued pursuant to an Indenture,
dated the date hereof (the "INDENTURE"), among the Issuer, the Guarantors named
therein and Wells Fargo Minnesota, National Association, as trustee (the
"TRUSTEE"). As an inducement to the Initial Purchasers to enter into the
Purchase Agreement, the Company agrees with the Initial Purchasers, for the
benefit of the Initial Purchasers and the holders of the Securities (as defined
below) (collectively the "HOLDERS"), as follows:

     1.  REGISTERED EXCHANGE OFFER. Unless not permitted by applicable law
(after the Company has complied with the ultimate paragraph of this Section 1),
the Company shall prepare and, not later than 270 days (such 270th day being a
"FILING DEADLINE") after the date on which the Initial Purchasers purchase the
Initial Securities pursuant to the Purchase Agreement (the "CLOSING DATE"), file
with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "COMMISSION") a registration
statement (the "EXCHANGE OFFER REGISTRATION STATEMENT") on an appropriate form
under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "SECURITIES ACT"), with
respect to a proposed offer (the "REGISTERED EXCHANGE OFFER") to the Holders of
Transfer Restricted Securities (as defined in Section 6 hereof), who are not
prohibited by any law or policy of the Commission from participating in the
Registered Exchange Offer, to issue and deliver to such Holders, in exchange for
the Initial Securities, a like aggregate principal amount of debt securities of
the Company issued under the Indenture, identical in all material respects to
the Initial Securities and registered under the Securities Act (the "EXCHANGE
SECURITIES"). The Company shall use its reasonable best efforts to (i) cause
such Exchange Offer Registration Statement to become effective under the
Securities Act within 360 days after the Closing Date (such 360th day being an
"EFFECTIVENESS DEADLINE") and (ii) keep the Exchange Offer Registration
Statement effective for not less than 30 days (or longer, if required by
applicable law) after the date notice of the Registered Exchange Offer is mailed
to the Holders (such period being called the "EXCHANGE OFFER REGISTRATION
PERIOD").

     If the Company commences the Registered Exchange Offer, the Company (i)
will be entitled to consummate the Registered Exchange Offer 30 days after such
commencement (provided that the Company

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has accepted all the Initial Securities theretofore validly tendered in
accordance with the terms of the Registered Exchange Offer) and (ii) will be
required to consummate the Registered Exchange Offer no later than 40 days after
the date on which the Exchange Offer Registration Statement is declared
effective (such 40th day being the "CONSUMMATION DEADLINE").

     Following the declaration of the effectiveness of the Exchange Offer
Registration Statement, the Company shall promptly commence the Registered
Exchange Offer, it being the objective of such Registered Exchange Offer to
enable each Holder of Transfer Restricted Securities electing to exchange the
Initial Securities for Exchange Securities (assuming that such Holder is not an
affiliate of the Company within the meaning of the Securities Act, acquires the
Exchange Securities in the ordinary course of such Holder's business and has no
arrangements with any person to participate in the distribution of the Exchange
Securities and is not prohibited by any law or policy of the Commission from
participating in the Registered Exchange Offer) to trade such Exchange
Securities from and after their receipt without any limitations or restrictions
under the Securities Act and without material restrictions under the securities
laws of the several states of the United States.

     The Company acknowledges that, pursuant to current interpretations by the
Commission's staff of Section 5 of the Securities Act, in the absence of an
applicable exemption therefrom, (i) each Holder which is a broker-dealer
electing to exchange Initial Securities, acquired for its own account as a
result of market making activities or other trading activities, for Exchange
Securities (an "EXCHANGING DEALER"), is required to deliver a prospectus
containing the information set forth in (a) Annex A hereto on the cover, (b)
Annex B hereto in the "Exchange Offer Procedures" section and the "Purpose of
the Exchange Offer" section, and (c) Annex C hereto in the "Plan of
Distribution" section of such prospectus in connection with a sale of any such
Exchange Securities received by such Exchanging Dealer pursuant to the
Registered Exchange Offer and (ii) an Initial Purchaser that elects to sell
Securities (as defined below) acquired in exchange for Initial Securities
constituting any portion of an unsold allotment, is required to deliver a
prospectus containing the information required by Items 507 or 508 of Regulation
S-K under the Securities Act, as applicable, in connection with such sale.

     The Company shall use its reasonable best efforts to keep the Exchange
Offer Registration Statement effective and to amend and supplement the
prospectus contained therein, in order to permit such prospectus to be lawfully
delivered by all persons subject to the prospectus delivery requirements of the
Securities Act for such period of time as such persons must comply with such
requirements in order to resell the Exchange Securities; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that
(i) in the case where such prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto
must be delivered by an Exchanging Dealer or an Initial Purchaser, such period
shall be the lesser of 180 days and the date on which all Exchanging Dealers and
the Initial Purchasers have sold all Exchange Securities held by them (unless
such period is extended pursuant to Section 3(j) below) and (ii) the Company
shall make such prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto available to
any broker-dealer for use in connection with any resale of any Exchange
Securities for a period of not less than 180 days after the consummation of the
Registered Exchange Offer.

     If, upon consummation of the Registered Exchange Offer, any Initial
Purchaser holds Initial Securities acquired by it as part of its initial
distribution, the Company, simultaneously with the delivery of the Exchange
Securities pursuant to the Registered Exchange Offer, shall issue and deliver to
such Initial Purchaser upon the written request of such Initial Purchaser, in
exchange (the "PRIVATE EXCHANGE") for the Initial Securities held by such
Initial Purchaser, a like principal amount of debt securities of the Company
issued under the Indenture and identical in all material respects to the Initial
Securities (the "PRIVATE EXCHANGE SECURITIES"). The Initial Securities, the
Exchange Securities and the Private Exchange Securities are herein collectively
called the "SECURITIES".

     In connection with the Registered Exchange Offer, the Company shall:

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     (a)    mail to each Holder a copy of the prospectus forming part of the
     Exchange Offer Registration Statement, together with an appropriate letter
     of transmittal and related documents;

     (b)    keep the Registered Exchange Offer open for not less than 30 days
     (or longer, if required by applicable law) after the date notice thereof is
     mailed to the Holders;

     (c)    utilize the services of a depositary for the Registered Exchange
     Offer with an address in the Borough of Manhattan, The City of New York,
     which may be the Trustee or an affiliate of the Trustee;

     (d)    permit Holders to withdraw tendered Securities at any time prior to
     the close of business, New York time, on the last business day on which the
     Registered Exchange Offer shall remain open; and

     (e)    otherwise comply with all applicable laws.

     As soon as practicable after the close of the Registered Exchange Offer or
the Private Exchange, as the case may be, the Company shall:

          (x) accept for exchange all the Securities validly tendered and not
     withdrawn pursuant to the Registered Exchange Offer and the Private
     Exchange;

          (y) deliver to the Trustee for cancellation all the Initial Securities
     so accepted for exchange; and

          (z) cause the Trustee to authenticate and deliver promptly to each
     Holder of the Initial Securities, Exchange Securities or Private Exchange
     Securities, as the case may be, equal in principal amount to the Initial
     Securities of such Holder so accepted for exchange.

     The Indenture will provide that the Exchange Securities will not be subject
to the transfer restrictions set forth in the Indenture and that all the
Securities will vote and consent together on all matters as one class and that
none of the Securities will have the right to vote or consent as a class
separate from one another on any matter.

     Interest on each Exchange Security and Private Exchange Security issued
pursuant to the Registered Exchange Offer and in the Private Exchange will
accrue from the last interest payment date on which interest was paid on the
Initial Securities surrendered in exchange therefor or, if no interest has been
paid on the Initial Securities, from the date of original issue of the Initial
Securities.

     Each Holder participating in the Registered Exchange Offer shall be
required to represent to the Company that at the time of the consummation of the
Registered Exchange Offer (i) any Exchange Securities received by such Holder
will be acquired in the ordinary course of business, (ii) such Holder will have
no arrangements or understanding with any person to participate in the
distribution of the Securities or the Exchange Securities within the meaning of
the Securities Act, (iii) such Holder is not an "affiliate," as defined in Rule
405 of the Securities Act, of the Company or if it is an affiliate, such Holder
will comply with the registration and prospectus delivery requirements of the
Securities Act to the extent applicable, (iv) if such Holder is not a
broker-dealer, that it is not engaged in, and does not intend to engage in, the
distribution of the Exchange Securities and (v) if such Holder is a
broker-dealer, that it will receive Exchange Securities for its own account in
exchange for Initial Securities that were acquired as a result of market-making
activities or other trading activities and that it will be required to
acknowledge that it will deliver a prospectus in connection with any resale of
such Exchange Securities.

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     Notwithstanding any other provisions hereof, the Company will ensure that
(i) any Exchange Offer Registration Statement and any amendment thereto and any
prospectus forming part thereof and any supplement thereto complies in all
material respects with the Securities Act and the rules and regulations
thereunder, (ii) any Exchange Offer Registration Statement and any amendment
thereto does not, when it becomes effective, contain an untrue statement of a
material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or
necessary to make the statements therein not misleading and (iii) any prospectus
forming part of any Exchange Offer Registration Statement, and any supplement to
such prospectus, does not include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit
to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to
make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they
were made, not misleading.

     If following the date hereof there has been announced a change in
Commission policy with respect to exchange offers that in the reasonable opinion
of counsel to the Company raises a substantial question as to whether the
Registered Exchange Offer is permitted by applicable federal law, the Company
will seek a no-action letter or other favorable decision from the Commission
allowing the Company to consummate the Registered Exchange Offer. The Company
will pursue the issuance of such a decision to the Commission staff level. In
connection with the foregoing, the Company will use its reasonable best efforts
to take all such other actions as may be requested by the Commission or
otherwise required in connection with the issuance of such decision, including
without limitation (i) participating in telephonic conferences with the
Commission, (ii) delivering to the Commission staff an analysis prepared by
counsel to the Company setting forth the legal bases, if any, upon which such
counsel has concluded that the Registered Exchange Offer should be permitted and
(iii) diligently pursuing a resolution (which need not be favorable) by the
Commission staff.

     2.  SHELF REGISTRATION. If, (i) because of any change in law or in
applicable interpretations thereof by the staff of the Commission, the Company
is not permitted to effect a Registered Exchange Offer, as contemplated by
Section 1 hereof, (ii) the Registered Exchange Offer is not consummated by the
400th day after the Closing Date, (iii) any Initial Purchaser so requests with
respect to the Initial Securities (or the Private Exchange Securities) not
eligible to be exchanged for Exchange Securities in the Registered Exchange
Offer and held by it following consummation of the Registered Exchange Offer or
(iv) any Holder (other than an Exchanging Dealer) is not eligible to participate
in the Registered Exchange Offer or, in the case of any Holder (other than an
Exchanging Dealer) that participates in the Registered Exchange Offer, such
Holder does not receive freely tradeable Exchange Securities on the date of the
exchange and any such Holder so requests following the consummation of the
Registered Exchange Offer, the Company shall take the following actions (the
date on which any of the conditions described in the foregoing clauses (i)
through (iv) occur, including in the case of clauses (iii) or (iv) the receipt
of the required notice, being a "TRIGGER DATE"):

          (a) The Company shall promptly (but in no event more than 45 days
     after the Trigger Date (such 45th day being a "FILING DEADLINE")) file with
     the Commission and thereafter use its reasonable best efforts to cause to
     be declared effective no later than 140 days after the Trigger Date (such
     140th day being an "EFFECTIVENESS DEADLINE") a registration statement (the
     "SHELF REGISTRATION STATEMENT" and, together with the Exchange Offer
     Registration Statement, a "REGISTRATION STATEMENT") on an appropriate form
     under the Securities Act relating to the offer and sale of the Transfer
     Restricted Securities by the Holders thereof from time to time in
     accordance with the methods of distribution set forth in the Shelf
     Registration Statement and Rule 415 under the Securities Act (hereinafter,
     the "SHELF REGISTRATION"); PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that no Holder (other than an
     Initial Purchaser) shall be entitled to have the Securities held by it
     covered by such Shelf Registration Statement unless such Holder agrees in
     writing to be bound by all the provisions of this Agreement applicable to
     such Holder.

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          (b) The Company shall use its reasonable best efforts to keep the
     Shelf Registration Statement continuously effective in order to permit the
     prospectus included therein to be lawfully delivered by the Holders of the
     relevant Securities, for a period of two years (or for such longer period
     if extended pursuant to Section 3(j) below) from the date of its
     effectiveness or such shorter period that will terminate when (i) all the
     Securities covered by the Shelf Registration Statement (A) have been sold
     pursuant thereto or (B) can be sold pursuant to Rule 144 under the
     Securities Act (or any successor rule thereof) without limitations under
     clauses (c), (e), (f) and (h) thereof or (ii) the date that is two years
     after the Shelf Registration Statement has been declared effective (the
     time when the Company's obligation to keep the Shelf Registration Statement
     effective terminates under the terms of this Agreement is sometimes
     referred to herein as the "SHELF OBLIGATION TERMINATION TIME"). The Company
     shall be deemed not to have used its reasonable best efforts to keep the
     Shelf Registration Statement effective during the requisite period if it
     voluntarily takes any action that would result in Holders of Securities
     covered thereby not being able to offer and sell such Securities during
     that period, unless such action is required by applicable law.

          (c) Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Agreement to the
     contrary, the Company shall cause the Shelf Registration Statement and the
     related prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto, as of the
     effective date of the Shelf Registration Statement, amendment or
     supplement, (i) to comply in all material respects with the applicable
     requirements of the Securities Act and the rules and regulations of the
     Commission and (ii) not to contain any untrue statement of a material fact
     or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary
     in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances
     under which they were made, not misleading.

     3.  REGISTRATION PROCEDURES. In connection with any Shelf Registration
contemplated by Section 2 hereof and, to the extent applicable, any Registered
Exchange Offer contemplated by Section 1 hereof, the following provisions shall
apply:

          (a) The Company shall (i) furnish to each Initial Purchaser, prior to
     the filing thereof with the Commission, a copy of the Registration
     Statement and each amendment thereof and each supplement, if any, to the
     prospectus included therein and, in the event that an Initial Purchaser
     (with respect to any portion of an unsold allotment from the original
     offering) is participating in the Registered Exchange Offer or the Shelf
     Registration Statement, the Company shall use its reasonable best efforts
     to reflect in each such document, when so filed with the Commission, such
     comments as such Initial Purchaser reasonably may propose; (ii) include the
     information set forth in Annex A hereto on the cover, in Annex B hereto in
     the "Exchange Offer Procedures" section and the "Purpose of the Exchange
     Offer" section and in Annex C hereto in the "Plan of Distribution" section
     of the prospectus forming a part of the Exchange Offer Registration
     Statement and include the information set forth in Annex D hereto in the
     Letter of Transmittal delivered pursuant to the Registered Exchange Offer;
     (iii) if requested by an Initial Purchaser, include the information
     required by Items 507 or 508 of Regulation S-K under the Securities Act, as
     applicable, in the prospectus forming a part of the Exchange Offer
     Registration Statement; (iv) include within the prospectus contained in the
     Exchange Offer Registration Statement a section entitled "Plan of
     Distribution," reasonably acceptable to the Initial Purchasers, which shall
     contain a summary statement of the positions taken or policies made by the
     staff of the Commission with respect to the potential "underwriter" status
     of any broker-dealer that is the beneficial owner (as defined in Rule 13d-3
     under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "EXCHANGE ACT"))
     of Exchange Securities received by such broker-dealer in the Registered
     Exchange Offer (a "PARTICIPATING BROKER-DEALER"), whether such positions or
     policies have been publicly disseminated by the staff of the Commission or
     such positions or policies, in the reasonable judgment of the Initial
     Purchasers based upon advice of counsel (which may be in-house counsel),
     represent the prevailing views of the staff of the Commission; and (v) in
     the case of a Shelf

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     Registration Statement, include the names of the Holders who propose to
     sell Securities pursuant to the Shelf Registration Statement as selling
     securityholders.

          (b) The Company shall give written notice to the Initial Purchasers,
     the Holders of the Securities and any Participating Broker-Dealer from whom
     the Company has received prior written notice that it will be a
     Participating Broker-Dealer in the Registered Exchange Offer (which notice
     pursuant to clauses (ii)-(v) hereof shall be accompanied by an instruction
     to suspend the use of the prospectus until the requisite changes have been
     made):

               (i)   when the Registration Statement or any amendment thereto
          has been filed with the Commission and when the Registration Statement
          or any post-effective amendment thereto has become effective;

               (ii)  of any request by the Commission for amendments or
          supplements to the Registration Statement or the prospectus included
          therein or for additional information;

               (iii) of the issuance by the Commission of any stop order
          suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or the
          initiation of any proceedings for that purpose;

               (iv)  of the receipt by the Company or its legal counsel of any
          notification with respect to the suspension of the qualification of
          the Securities for sale in any jurisdiction or the initiation or
          threatening of any proceeding for such purpose; and

               (v)   of the happening of any event that requires the Company to
          make changes in the Registration Statement or the prospectus in order
          that the Registration Statement or the prospectus do not contain an
          untrue statement of a material fact nor omit to state a material fact
          required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements
          therein (in the case of the prospectus, in light of the circumstances
          under which they were made) not misleading.

          (c) The Company shall make reasonable best efforts to obtain the
     withdrawal at the earliest possible time, of any order suspending the
     effectiveness of the Registration Statement.

          (d) The Company shall furnish to each Holder of Securities included
     within the coverage of the Shelf Registration, without charge, at least one
     copy of the Shelf Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment
     thereto, including financial statements and schedules, and, if the Holder
     so requests in writing, all exhibits thereto (including those, if any,
     incorporated by reference).

          (e) The Company shall deliver to each Exchanging Dealer and each
     Initial Purchaser, and to any other Holder who so requests, without charge,
     at least one copy of the Exchange Offer Registration Statement and any
     post-effective amendment thereto, including financial statements and
     schedules, and, if any Initial Purchaser or any such Holder requests, all
     exhibits thereto (including those incorporated by reference).

          (f) The Company shall, during the Shelf Registration Period, deliver
     to each Holder of Securities included within the coverage of the Shelf
     Registration, without charge, as many copies of the prospectus (including
     each preliminary prospectus) included in the Shelf Registration Statement
     and any amendment or supplement thereto as such person may reasonably
     request. The Company consents, subject to the provisions of this Agreement,
     to the use of the prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto by each
     of the selling Holders of the Securities in connection

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     with the offering and sale of the Securities covered by the prospectus, or
     any amendment or supplement thereto, included in the Shelf Registration
     Statement.

          (g) The Company shall deliver to each Initial Purchaser, any
     Exchanging Dealer, any Participating Broker-Dealer and such other persons
     required to deliver a prospectus following the Registered Exchange Offer,
     without charge, as many copies of the final prospectus included in the
     Exchange Offer Registration Statement and any amendment or supplement
     thereto as such persons may reasonably request. The Company consents,
     subject to the provisions of this Agreement, to the use of the prospectus
     or any amendment or supplement thereto by any Initial Purchaser, if
     necessary, any Participating Broker-Dealer and such other persons required
     to deliver a prospectus following the Registered Exchange Offer in
     connection with the offering and sale of the Exchange Securities covered by
     the prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereto, included in such
     Exchange Offer Registration Statement.

          (h) Prior to any public offering of the Securities pursuant to any
     Registration Statement the Company shall register or qualify or cooperate
     with the Holders of the Securities included therein and their respective
     counsel in connection with the registration or qualification of the
     Securities for offer and sale under the securities or "blue sky" laws of
     such states of the United States as any Holder of the Securities reasonably
     requests in writing and do any and all other acts or things necessary or
     advisable to enable the offer and sale in such jurisdictions of the
     Securities covered by such Registration Statement; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that
     the Company shall not be required to (i) qualify generally to do business
     in any jurisdiction where it is not then so qualified or (ii) take any
     action which would subject it to general service of process or to taxation
     in any jurisdiction where it is not then so subject.

          (i) The Company shall cooperate with the Holders of the Securities to
     facilitate the timely preparation and delivery of certificates representing
     the Securities to be sold pursuant to any Registration Statement free of
     any restrictive legends and in such denominations and registered in such
     names as the Holders may request a reasonable period of time prior to sales
     of the Securities pursuant to such Registration Statement.

          (j) Upon the occurrence of any event contemplated by paragraphs (ii)
     through (v) of Section 3(b) above during the period for which the Company
     is required to maintain an effective Registration Statement, the Company
     shall promptly prepare and file any requisite post-effective amendment to
     the Registration Statement or any requisite supplement to the related
     prospectus and any other required document so that, as thereafter delivered
     to Holders of the Securities or purchasers of Securities, the prospectus
     will not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state
     any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the
     statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were
     made, not misleading. If the Company notifies the Initial Purchasers, the
     Holders of the Securities and any known Participating Broker-Dealer in
     accordance with paragraphs (ii) through (v) of Section 3(b) above to
     suspend the use of the prospectus until the requisite changes to the
     prospectus have been made, then the Initial Purchasers, the Holders of the
     Securities and any such Participating Broker-Dealers shall suspend use of
     such prospectus, and the period of effectiveness of the Shelf Registration
     Statement provided for in Section 2(b) above and the Exchange Offer
     Registration Statement provided for in Section 1 above shall each be
     extended by the number of days from and including the date of the giving of
     such notice to and including the date when the Initial Purchasers, the
     Holders of the Securities and any known Participating Broker-Dealer shall
     have received such amended or supplemented prospectus pursuant to this
     Section 3(j) or the Company shall have notified such Holders that
     disposition of such Securities may resume using the then existing
     prospectus if no amendment or supplement to such prospectus is required.

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          (k) Not later than the effective date of the applicable Registration
     Statement, the Company will provide a CUSIP number for the Initial
     Securities, the Exchange Securities or the Private Exchange Securities, as
     the case may be, and provide the applicable trustee with printed
     certificates for the Initial Securities, the Exchange Securities or the
     Private Exchange Securities, as the case may be, in a form eligible for
     deposit with The Depository Trust Company.

          (l) The Company will comply with all rules and regulations of the
     Commission to the extent and so long as they are applicable to the
     Registered Exchange Offer or the Shelf Registration and will make generally
     available to its security holders (or otherwise provide in accordance with
     Section 11(a) of the Securities Act) an earnings statement satisfying the
     provisions of Section 11(a) of the Securities Act, no later than 45 days
     after the end of a 12-month period (or 90 days, if such period is a fiscal
     year) beginning with the first month of the Company's first fiscal quarter
     commencing after the effective date of the Registration Statement, which
     statement shall cover such 12-month period.

          (m) The Company shall cause the Indenture to be qualified under the
     Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended, in a timely manner and containing
     such changes, if any, as shall be necessary for such qualification. In the
     event that such qualification would require the appointment of a new
     trustee under the Indenture, the Company shall appoint a new trustee
     thereunder pursuant to the applicable provisions of the Indenture.

          (n) The Company may require each Holder of Securities to be sold
     pursuant to the Shelf Registration Statement to furnish to the Company such
     information regarding the Holder and the distribution of the Securities as
     the Company may from time to time reasonably require for inclusion in the
     Shelf Registration Statement, and the Company may exclude from such
     registration the Securities of any Holder that unreasonably fails to
     furnish such information within a reasonable time after receiving such
     request.

          (o) The Company shall enter into such customary agreements (including,
     if requested, an underwriting agreement in customary form) and take all
     such other action, if any, as any Holder of the Securities shall reasonably
     request in order to facilitate the disposition of the Securities pursuant
     to any Shelf Registration.

          (p) In the case of any Shelf Registration, the Company shall (i) make
     reasonably available for inspection by the Holders of the Securities, any
     underwriter participating in any disposition pursuant to the Shelf
     Registration Statement and any attorney, accountant or other agent retained
     by the Holders of the Securities or any such underwriter (collectively, the
     "INSPECTORS") all relevant financial and other records, pertinent corporate
     documents and properties of the Company (collectively, the "RECORDS") and
     (ii) cause the Company's officers, directors, employees, accountants and
     auditors to supply all relevant information reasonably requested by the
     Holders of the Securities or any such underwriter, attorney, accountant or
     agent in connection with the Shelf Registration Statement, in each case, as
     shall be reasonably necessary to enable such persons, to conduct a
     reasonable investigation within the meaning of Section 11 of the Securities
     Act; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that each Inspector will be required to agree in
     writing that Records and information obtained by it as a result of such
     inspections shall be deemed confidential and may only be disclosed in
     connection with the consummation of the Shelf Registration, and provided,
     further that the foregoing inspection and information gathering shall be
     coordinated on behalf of the Initial Purchasers by you and on behalf of the
     other parties, by one counsel designated by and on behalf of such other
     parties as described in Section 4 hereof.

          (q) In the case of any Shelf Registration, the Company, if requested
     by any Holder of Securities covered thereby, shall cause (i) its counsel to
     deliver an opinion and updates thereof

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     relating to the Securities in customary form addressed to such Holders and
     the managing underwriters, if any, thereof and dated, in the case of the
     initial opinion, the effective date of such Shelf Registration Statement
     (it being agreed that the matters to be covered by such opinion shall
     include, without limitation, the due incorporation and good standing of the
     Company and its subsidiaries; the qualification of the Company and its
     subsidiaries to transact business as foreign corporations; the due
     authorization, execution and delivery of the relevant agreement of the type
     referred to in Section 3(o) hereof; the due authorization, execution,
     authentication and issuance, and the validity and enforceability, of the
     applicable Securities; the absence of material legal or governmental
     proceedings involving the Company and its subsidiaries; the absence of
     governmental approvals required to be obtained in connection with the Shelf
     Registration Statement, the offering and sale of the applicable Securities,
     or any agreement of the type referred to in Section 3(o) hereof; the
     compliance as to form of such Shelf Registration Statement and any
     documents incorporated by reference therein and of the Indenture with the
     requirements of the Securities Act and the Trust Indenture Act,
     respectively; and, as of the date of the opinion and as of the effective
     date of the Shelf Registration Statement or most recent post-effective
     amendment thereto, as the case may be, the absence from such Shelf
     Registration Statement and the prospectus included therein, as then amended
     or supplemented, and from any documents incorporated by reference therein
     of an untrue statement of a material fact or the omission to state therein
     a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the
     statements therein not misleading (in the case of any such documents, in
     the light of the circumstances existing at the time that such documents
     were filed with the Commission under the Exchange Act); (ii) its officers
     to execute and deliver all customary documents and certificates and updates
     thereof requested by any underwriters of the applicable Securities and
     (iii) its independent public accountants to provide to the selling Holders
     of the applicable Securities and any underwriter therefor a comfort letter
     in customary form and covering matters of the type customarily covered in
     comfort letters in connection with primary underwritten offerings, subject
     to receipt of appropriate documentation as contemplated, and only if
     permitted, by Statement of Auditing Standards No. 72.

          (r) In the case of the Registered Exchange Offer, if requested by any
     Initial Purchaser or any known Participating Broker-Dealer, the Company
     shall cause (i) its counsel to deliver to such Initial Purchaser or such
     Participating Broker-Dealer a signed opinion in the form set forth in
     Sections 6(d) and 6(e) of the Purchase Agreement with such changes as are
     customary in connection with the preparation of a Registration Statement
     and (ii) its independent public accountants to deliver to such Initial
     Purchaser or such Participating Broker-Dealer a comfort letter, in
     customary form, meeting the requirements as to the substance thereof as set
     forth in Section 6(a) of the Purchase Agreement.

          (s) If a Registered Exchange Offer or a Private Exchange is to be
     consummated, upon delivery of the Initial Securities by Holders to the
     Company (or to such other Person as directed by the Company) in exchange
     for the Exchange Securities or the Private Exchange Securities, as the case
     may be, the Company shall mark, or caused to be marked, on the Initial
     Securities so exchanged that such Initial Securities are being canceled in
     exchange for the Exchange Securities or the Private Exchange Securities, as
     the case may be; in no event shall the Initial Securities be marked as paid
     or otherwise satisfied.

          (t) The Company will use its reasonable best efforts to confirm that
     the ratings of the Initial Securities will apply to the Securities covered
     by a Registration Statement.

          (u) In the event that any broker-dealer registered under the Exchange
     Act shall underwrite any Securities or participate as a member of an
     underwriting syndicate or selling group or "assist in the distribution"
     (within the meaning of the Conduct Rules (the "RULES") of the National
     Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. ("NASD")) thereof, whether as a
     Holder of such

                                        9
<Page>

     Securities or as an underwriter, a placement or sales agent or a broker or
     dealer in respect thereof, or otherwise, the Company will assist such
     broker-dealer in complying with the requirements of such Rules, including,
     without limitation, by (i) if such Rules, including Rule 2720, shall so
     require, engaging a "qualified independent underwriter" (as defined in Rule
     2720) to participate in the preparation of the Registration Statement
     relating to such Securities, to exercise usual standards of due diligence
     in respect thereto and, if any portion of the offering contemplated by such
     Registration Statement is an underwritten offering or is made through a
     placement or sales agent, to recommend the yield of such Securities, (ii)
     indemnifying any such qualified independent underwriter to the extent of
     the indemnification of underwriters provided in Section 5 hereof and (iii)
     providing such information to such broker-dealer as may be required in
     order for such broker-dealer to comply with the requirements of the Rules.

          (v) The Company shall use its reasonable best efforts to take all
     other steps necessary to effect the registration of the Securities covered
     by a Registration Statement contemplated hereby.

     4.  REGISTRATION EXPENSES. (a) All expenses incident to the Company's
performance of and compliance with this Agreement will be borne by the Company,
regardless of whether a Registration Statement is ever filed or becomes
effective, including without limitation;

          (i)   all registration and filing fees and expenses;

          (ii)  all fees and expenses of compliance with federal securities and
     state "blue sky" or securities laws;

          (iii) all expenses of printing (including printing certificates for
     the Securities to be issued in the Registered Exchange Offer and the
     Private Exchange and printing of Prospectuses), messenger and delivery
     services and telephone;

          (iv)  all fees and disbursements of counsel for the Company;

          (v)   all application and filing fees in connection with listing the
     Exchange Securities on a national securities exchange or automated
     quotation system pursuant to the requirements hereof; and

          (vi)  all fees and disbursements of independent certified public
     accountants of the Company (including the expenses of any special audit and
     comfort letters required by or incident to such performance).

The Company will bear its internal expenses (including, without limitation, all
salaries and expenses of its officers and employees performing legal or
accounting duties), the expenses of any annual audit and the fees and expenses
of any person, including special experts, retained by the Company.

     (b) In connection with any Registration Statement required by this
Agreement, the Company will reimburse the Initial Purchasers and the Holders of
Transfer Restricted Securities who are tendering Initial Securities in the
Registered Exchange Offer and/or selling or reselling Securities pursuant to the
"Plan of Distribution" contained in the Exchange Offer Registration Statement or
the Shelf Registration Statement, as applicable, for the reasonable fees and
disbursements of not more than one counsel, who shall be Akin Gump Strauss Hauer
& Feld LLP unless another firm shall be chosen by the Holders of a majority in
principal amount of the Transfer Restricted Securities for whose benefit such
Registration Statement is being prepared.

                                       10
<Page>

     5.  INDEMNIFICATION. (a) The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless
each Holder of the Securities, any Participating Broker-Dealer and each person,
if any, who controls such Holder or such Participating Broker-Dealer within the
meaning of the Securities Act or the Exchange Act (each Holder, any
Participating Broker-Dealer and such controlling persons are referred to
collectively as the "INDEMNIFIED PARTIES") from and against any losses, claims,
damages or liabilities, joint or several, or any actions in respect thereof
(including, but not limited to, any losses, claims, damages, liabilities or
actions relating to purchases and sales of the Securities) to which each
Indemnified Party may become subject under the Securities Act, the Exchange Act
or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, damages, liabilities or actions
arise out of or are based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement
of a material fact contained in a Registration Statement or prospectus or in any
amendment or supplement thereto or in any preliminary prospectus relating to a
Shelf Registration, or arise out of, or are based upon, the omission or alleged
omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or
necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, and shall reimburse, as
incurred, the Indemnified Parties for any legal or other expenses reasonably
incurred by them in connection with investigating or defending any such loss,
claim, damage, liability or action in respect thereof; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that
(i) the Company shall not be liable in any such case to the extent that such
loss, claim, damage or liability arises out of or is based upon any untrue
statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission made in a
Registration Statement or prospectus or in any amendment or supplement thereto
or in any preliminary prospectus relating to a Shelf Registration in reliance
upon and in conformity with written information pertaining to such Holder and
furnished to the Company by or on behalf of such Holder specifically for
inclusion therein and (ii) with respect to any untrue statement or omission or
alleged untrue statement or omission made in any preliminary prospectus relating
to a Shelf Registration Statement, the indemnity agreement contained in this
subsection (a) shall not inure to the benefit of any Holder or Participating
Broker-Dealer from whom the person asserting any such losses, claims, damages or
liabilities purchased the Securities concerned, to the extent that a prospectus
relating to such Securities was required to be delivered by such Holder or
Participating Broker-Dealer under the Securities Act in connection with such
purchase and any such loss, claim, damage or liability of such Holder or
Participating Broker-Dealer results from the fact that there was not sent or
given to such person, at or prior to the written confirmation of the sale of
such Securities to such person, a copy of the final prospectus if the Company
had previously furnished copies thereof to such Holder or Participating
Broker-Dealer; PROVIDED FURTHER, HOWEVER, that this indemnity agreement will be
in addition to any liability which the Company may otherwise have to such
Indemnified Party. The Company shall also indemnify underwriters, their officers
and directors and each person who controls such underwriters within the meaning
of the Securities Act or the Exchange Act to the same extent as provided above
with respect to the indemnification of the Holders of the Securities if
requested by such Holders.

     (b) Each Holder of the Securities, severally and not jointly, will
indemnify and hold harmless the Company and each person, if any, who controls
the Company within the meaning of the Securities Act or the Exchange Act from
and against any losses, claims, damages or liabilities or any actions in respect
thereof, to which the Company or any such controlling person may become subject
under the Securities Act, the Exchange Act or otherwise, insofar as such losses,
claims, damages, liabilities or actions arise out of or are based upon any
untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in a
Registration Statement or prospectus or in any amendment or supplement thereto
or in any preliminary prospectus relating to a Shelf Registration, or arise out
of or are based upon the omission or alleged omission to state therein a
material fact necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, but in
each case only to the extent that the untrue statement or omission or alleged
untrue statement or omission was made in reliance upon and in conformity with
written information pertaining to such Holder and furnished to the Company by or
on behalf of such Holder specifically for inclusion therein; and, subject to the
limitation set forth immediately preceding this clause, shall reimburse, as
incurred, the Company for any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by the
Company or any such controlling person in connection with investigating or
defending any loss, claim, damage, liability or action in respect thereof. This
indemnity agreement will be in addition to any liability which such Holder may
otherwise have to the Company or any of its controlling persons.

                                       11
<Page>

     (c) Promptly after receipt by an indemnified party under this Section 5 of
notice of the commencement of any action or proceeding (including a governmental
investigation), such indemnified party will, if a claim in respect thereof is to
be made against the indemnifying party under this Section 5, notify the
indemnifying party of the commencement thereof; but the omission so to notify
the indemnifying party will not, in any event, relieve the indemnifying party
from any obligations to any indemnified party other than the indemnification
obligation provided in paragraph (a) or (b) above. In case any such action is
brought against any indemnified party, and it notifies the indemnifying party of
the commencement thereof, the indemnifying party will be entitled to participate
therein and, to the extent that it may wish, jointly with any other indemnifying
party similarly notified, to assume the defense thereof, with counsel reasonably
satisfactory to such indemnified party (who shall not, except with the consent
of the indemnified party, be counsel to the indemnifying party), and after
notice from the indemnifying party to such indemnified party of its election so
to assume the defense thereof the indemnifying party will not be liable to such
indemnified party under this Section 5 for any legal or other expenses, other
than reasonable costs of investigation, subsequently incurred by such
indemnified party in connection with the defense thereof. No indemnifying party
shall, without the prior written consent of the indemnified party, effect any
settlement of any pending or threatened action in respect of which any
indemnified party is or could have been a party and indemnity could have been
sought hereunder by such indemnified party unless such settlement includes an
unconditional release of such indemnified party from all liability on any claims
that are the subject matter of such action, and does not include a statement as
to or an admission of fault, culpability or a failure to act by or on behalf of
any indemnified party.

     (d) If the indemnification provided for in this Section 5 is unavailable or
insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party under subsections (a) or (b)
above, then each indemnifying party shall contribute to the amount paid or
payable by such indemnified party as a result of the losses, claims, damages or
liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) referred to in subsection (a) or (b)
above (i) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits
received by the indemnifying party or parties on the one hand and the
indemnified party on the other from the exchange of the Securities, pursuant to
the Registered Exchange Offer, or (ii) if the allocation provided by the
foregoing clause (i) is not permitted by applicable law, in such proportion as
is appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits referred to in clause
(i) above but also the relative fault of the indemnifying party or parties on
the one hand and the indemnified party on the other in connection with the
statements or omissions that resulted in such losses, claims, damages or
liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) as well as any other relevant
equitable considerations. The relative fault of the parties shall be determined
by reference to, among other things, whether the untrue or alleged untrue
statement of a material fact or the omission or alleged omission to state a
material fact relates to information supplied by the Company on the one hand or
such Holder or such other indemnified party, as the case may be, on the other,
and the parties' relative intent, knowledge, access to information and
opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission. The amount paid by
an indemnified party as a result of the losses, claims, damages or liabilities
referred to in the first sentence of this subsection (d) shall be deemed to
include any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such indemnified
party in connection with investigating or defending any action or claim which is
the subject of this subsection (d). Notwithstanding any other provision of this
Section 5(d), the Holders of the Securities shall not be required to contribute
any amount in excess of the amount by which the net proceeds received by such
Holders from the sale of the Securities pursuant to a Registration Statement
exceeds the amount of damages which such Holders have otherwise been required to
pay by reason of such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged
omission. No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning
of Section 11(f) of the Securities Act) shall be entitled to contribution from
any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation. For purposes
of this paragraph (d), each person, if any, who controls such indemnified party
within the meaning of the Securities Act or the Exchange Act shall have the same
rights to contribution as such indemnified party and each person, if any, who
controls the Company within the meaning of the Securities Act or the Exchange
Act shall have the same rights to contribution as the Company.

                                       12
<Page>

     (e) The agreements contained in this Section 5 shall survive the sale of
the Securities pursuant to a Registration Statement and shall remain in full
force and effect, regardless of any termination or cancellation of this
Agreement or any investigation made by or on behalf of any indemnified party.

     6.  ADDITIONAL INTEREST UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES. (a) Additional
interest (the "ADDITIONAL INTEREST") with respect to the Securities shall be
assessed as follows if any of the following events occur (each such event in
clauses (i) through (v) below being herein called a "REGISTRATION DEFAULT"):

     (i)   the Exchange Offer Registration Statement is not filed with the
           Commission on or prior to the applicable Filing Deadline;

     (ii)  (A) the Exchange Offer Registration Statement is not declared
           effective by the Commission on or prior to the applicable
           Effectiveness Deadline or (B) any Shelf Registration Statement
           required by this Agreement is not declared effective by the
           Commission on or prior to the applicable Effectiveness Deadline;

     (iii) the Registered Exchange Offer has not been consummated on or prior to
           the Consummation Deadline;

     (iv)  any Shelf Registration Statement required by this Agreement is not
           filed with the Commission on prior to the applicable Filing Deadline;
           or

     (v)   any Registration Statement required by this Agreement has been
           declared effective by the Commission but (A) such Registration
           Statement thereafter ceases to be effective or (B) such Registration
           Statement or the related prospectus ceases to be usable in connection
           with resales of Transfer Restricted Securities during the periods
           specified herein because either (1) any event occurs as a result of
           which the related prospectus forming part of such Registration
           Statement would include any untrue statement of a material fact or
           omit to state any material fact necessary to make the statements
           therein in the light of the circumstances under which they were made
           not misleading, or (2) it shall be necessary to amend such
           Registration Statement or supplement the related prospectus, to
           comply with the Securities Act or the Exchange Act or the respective
           rules thereunder.

Each of the foregoing will constitute a Registration Default whatever the reason
for any such event and whether it is voluntary or involuntary or is beyond the
control of the Company or pursuant to operation of law or as a result of any
action or inaction by the Commission; provided, that a Registration Default
under the preceding clause (ii)(B), (iv) or (v) shall be deemed cured at the
Shelf Obligation Termination Time.

     Additional Interest shall accrue on the Securities over and above the
interest set forth in the title of the Securities from and including the date on
which any such Registration Default shall occur to but excluding the date on
which all such Registration Defaults have been cured, at a rate of 0.25% per
annum (the "ADDITIONAL INTEREST RATE") for the first 90-day period immediately
following the occurrence of such Registration Default. The Additional Interest
Rate shall increase by an additional 0.25% per annum with respect to each
subsequent 90-day period until all Registration Defaults have been cured, up to
a maximum Additional Interest Rate of 1.5% per annum.

     (b) A Registration Default referred to in Section 6(a)(v) hereof shall be
deemed not to have occurred and be continuing in relation to a Shelf
Registration Statement or the related prospectus if (i) such Registration
Default has occurred solely as a result of (x) the filing of a post-effective
amendment to such Shelf Registration Statement to incorporate annual audited
financial information with respect to the Company where such post-effective
amendment is not yet effective and needs to be declared effective to permit
Holders to use the related prospectus or (y) other material events, with respect
to the Company that

                                       13
<Page>

would need to be described in such Shelf Registration Statement or the related
prospectus and (ii) in the case of clause (y), the Company is proceeding
promptly and in good faith to amend or supplement such Shelf Registration
Statement and related prospectus to describe such events; PROVIDED, HOWEVER,
that in any case if such Registration Default occurs for a continuous period in
excess of 30 days, Additional Interest shall be payable in accordance with the
above paragraph from the day such Registration Default occurs until such
Registration Default is cured.

     (c) Any amounts of Additional Interest due pursuant to Section 6(a) will be
payable in cash on the regular interest payment dates with respect to the
Securities. The amount of Additional Interest will be determined by multiplying
the applicable Additional Interest Rate by the principal amount of the
Securities and further multiplied by a fraction, the numerator of which is the
number of days such Additional Interest Rate was applicable during such period
(determined on the basis of a 360-day year comprised of twelve 30-day months),
and the denominator of which is 360.

     (d) "TRANSFER RESTRICTED SECURITIES" means each Security until (i) the date
on which such Security has been exchanged by a person other than a broker-dealer
for a freely transferable Exchange Security in the Registered Exchange Offer,
(ii) following the exchange by a broker-dealer in the Registered Exchange Offer
of an Initial Security for an Exchange Note, the date on which such Exchange
Note is sold to a purchaser who receives from such broker-dealer on or prior to
the date of such sale a copy of the prospectus contained in the Exchange Offer
Registration Statement, (iii) the date on which such Security has been
effectively registered under the Securities Act and disposed of in accordance
with the Shelf Registration Statement or (iv) the date on which such Security is
distributed to the public pursuant to Rule 144 under the Securities Act or is
saleable pursuant to Rule 144(k) under the Securities Act.

     7.  RULES 144 AND 144A. The Company shall use its reasonable best efforts
to file the reports required to be filed by it under the Securities Act and the
Exchange Act in a timely manner and, if at any time the Company is not required
to file such reports, it will, upon the request of any Holder of Securities,
make publicly available other information so long as necessary to permit sales
of their securities pursuant to Rules 144 and 144A. The Company covenants that
it will take such further action as any Holder of Securities may reasonably
request, all to the extent required from time to time to enable such Holder to
sell Securities without registration under the Securities Act within the
limitation of the exemptions provided by Rules 144 and 144A (including the
requirements of Rule 144A(d)(4)). The Company will provide a copy of this
Agreement to prospective purchasers of Initial Securities identified to the
Company by the Initial Purchasers upon request. Upon the request of any Holder
of Initial Securities, the Company shall deliver to such Holder a written
statement as to whether it has complied with such requirements. Notwithstanding
the foregoing, nothing in this Section 7 shall be deemed to require the Company
to register any of its securities pursuant to the Exchange Act.

     8.  UNDERWRITTEN REGISTRATIONS. If any of the Transfer Restricted
Securities covered by any Shelf Registration are to be sold in an underwritten
offering, the investment banker or investment bankers and manager or managers
that will administer the offering ("MANAGING UNDERWRITERS") will be selected by
the Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of such Transfer
Restricted Securities to be included in such offering.

     No person may participate in any underwritten registration hereunder unless
such person (i) agrees to sell such person's Transfer Restricted Securities on
the basis reasonably provided in any underwriting arrangements approved by the
persons entitled hereunder to approve such arrangements and (ii) completes and
executes all questionnaires, powers of attorney, indemnities, underwriting
agreements and other documents reasonably required under the terms of such
underwriting arrangements.

                                       14
<Page>

     9.  MISCELLANEOUS.

     (a) REMEDIES. The Company acknowledges and agrees that any failure by the
Company to comply with its obligations under Section 1 and 2 hereof may result
in material irreparable injury to the Initial Purchasers or the Holders for
which there is no adequate remedy at law, that it will not be possible to
measure damages for such injuries precisely and that, in the event of any such
failure, the Initial Purchasers or any Holder may obtain such relief as may be
required to specifically enforce the Company's obligations under Sections 1 and
2 hereof. The Company further agrees to waive the defense in any action for
specific performance that a remedy at law would be adequate.

     (b) NO INCONSISTENT AGREEMENTS. The Company will not on or after the date
of this Agreement and prior to the termination of the Company's obligations
hereunder enter into any agreement with respect to its securities that is
inconsistent with the rights granted to the Holders in this Agreement or
otherwise conflicts with the provisions hereof. The rights granted to the
Holders hereunder do not in any way conflict with and are not inconsistent with
the rights granted to the holders of the Company's securities under any
agreement in effect on the date hereof.

     (c) AMENDMENTS AND WAIVERS. The provisions of this Agreement may not be
amended, modified or supplemented, and waivers or consents to departures from
the provisions hereof may not be given, except by the Company and the written
consent of the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Securities
affected by such amendment, modification, supplement, waiver or consents.

     (d) NOTICES. All notices and other communications provided for or permitted
hereunder shall be made in writing by hand delivery, first-class mail, facsimile
transmission, or air courier which guarantees overnight delivery:

          (1)  if to a Holder of the Securities, at the most current address
given by such Holder to the Company.

          (2)  if to the Initial Purchasers:

               Credit Suisse First Boston LLC
               Eleven Madison Avenue
               New York, NY 10010-3629
               Fax No.: (212) 325-8278
               Attention: Transactions Advisory Group

     with a copy to:

               Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP
               1333 New Hampshire Ave, N.W.
               Washington, D.C. 20036
               Fax No.: (202) 887-4288
               Attention: Bruce S. Mendelsohn, Esq.

          (3)  if to the Company, at its address as follows:

               Merisant Company
               One North Brentwood Boulevard, Suite 510
               Clayton, Missouri 63105
               Fax No.: (314) 657-1024
               Attention: Luke C. Kissam, Esq.

                                       15
<Page>

     with a copy to:

               Sidley Austin Brown & Wood LLP
               Bank One Plaza
               10 South Dearborn Street
               Chicago, IL 60603
               Fax No.: (312) 853-7036
               Attention: Carol M. Lind, Esq.

     All such notices and communications shall be deemed to have been duly
given: at the time delivered by hand, if personally delivered; three business
days after being deposited in the mail, postage prepaid, if mailed; when receipt
is acknowledged by recipient's facsimile machine operator, if sent by facsimile
transmission; and on the day delivered, if sent by overnight air courier
guaranteeing next day delivery.

     (e) THIRD PARTY BENEFICIARIES. The Holders shall be third party
beneficiaries to the agreements made hereunder between the Company, on the one
hand, and the Initial Purchasers, on the other hand, and shall have the right to
enforce such agreements directly to the extent they may deem such enforcement
necessary or advisable to protect their rights or the rights of Holders
hereunder.

     (f) SUCCESSORS AND ASSIGNS. This Agreement shall be binding upon the
Company and its successors and assigns.

     (g) COUNTERPARTS. This Agreement may be executed in any number of
counterparts and by the parties hereto in separate counterparts, each of which
when so executed shall be deemed to be an original and all of which taken
together shall constitute one and the same agreement.

     (h) HEADINGS. The headings in this Agreement are for convenience of
reference only and shall not limit or otherwise affect the meaning hereof.

     (i) GOVERNING Law. THIS AGREEMENT SHALL BE GOVERNED BY, AND CONSTRUED IN
ACCORDANCE WITH, THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK WITHOUT REGARD TO PRINCIPLES
OF CONFLICTS OF LAWS.

     (j) SEVERABILITY. If any one or more of the provisions contained herein, or
the application thereof in any circumstance, is held invalid, illegal or
unenforceable, the validity, legality and enforceability of any such provision
in every other respect and of the remaining provisions contained herein shall
not be affected or impaired thereby.

     (k) SECURITIES HELD BY THE COMPANY. Whenever the consent or approval of
Holders of a specified percentage of principal amount of Securities is required
hereunder, Securities held by the Company or its affiliates (other than
subsequent Holders of Securities if such subsequent Holders are deemed to be
affiliates solely by reason of their holdings of such Securities) shall not be
counted in determining whether such consent or approval was given by the Holders
of such required percentage.

                                       16
<Page>

     If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding of our agreement,
please sign and return to the Issuer a counterpart hereof, whereupon this
instrument, along with all counterparts, will become a binding agreement among
the several Initial Purchasers, the Issuer and the Guarantors in accordance with
its terms.

                     Very truly yours,

                     MERISANT COMPANY

                     By:
                            /s/ Luther C. Kissam IV
                          -----------------------------------
                          Name: Luther C. Kissam IV
                          Title: Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary

                     MERISANT US, INC.

                     By:
                            /s/ Luther C. Kissam IV
                          -----------------------------------
                          Name: Luther C. Kissam IV
                          Title: Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary

                     MERISANT FOREIGN HOLDINGS I, INC.

                     By:
                            /s/ Luther C. Kissam IV
                          ------------------------------------
                          Name: Luther C. Kissam IV
                          Title: Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary

The foregoing Registration
Rights Agreement is hereby confirmed
and accepted as of the date first
above written.

CREDIT SUISSE FIRST BOSTON LLC
WACHOVIA SECURITIES, LLC
BANC ONE CAPITAL MARKETS, INC.

By: CREDIT SUISSE FIRST BOSTON LLC

By:
         /s/ Geoffrey Manna
       ------------------------------------
       Name: Geoffrey Manna
       Title: Director

                                       17
<Page>

                                                                         ANNEX A

     Each broker-dealer that receives Exchange Securities for its own account
pursuant to the Exchange Offer must acknowledge that it will deliver a
prospectus in connection with any resale of such Exchange Securities. The Letter
of Transmittal states that by so acknowledging and by delivering a prospectus, a
broker-dealer will not be deemed to admit that it is an "underwriter" within the
meaning of the Securities Act. This Prospectus, as it may be amended or
supplemented from time to time, may be used by a broker-dealer in connection
with resales of Exchange Securities received in exchange for Initial Securities
where such Initial Securities were acquired by such broker-dealer as a result of
market-making activities or other trading activities. The Company has agreed
that, for a period of 180 days after the Expiration Date (as defined herein), it
will make this Prospectus available to any broker-dealer for use in connection
with any such resale. See "Plan of Distribution."

                                       18
<Page>

                                                                         ANNEX B

     Each broker-dealer that receives Exchange Securities for its own account in
exchange for Initial Securities, where such Initial Securities were acquired by
such broker-dealer as a result of market-making activities or other trading
activities, must acknowledge that it will deliver a prospectus in connection
with any resale of such Exchange Securities. See "Plan of Distribution."

                                       19
<Page>

                                                                         ANNEX C

                              PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION

     Each broker-dealer that receives Exchange Securities for its own account
pursuant to the Exchange Offer must acknowledge that it will deliver a
prospectus in connection with any resale of such Exchange Securities. This
Prospectus, as it may be amended or supplemented from time to time, may be used
by a broker-dealer in connection with resales of Exchange Securities received in
exchange for Initial Securities where such Initial Securities were acquired as a
result of market-making activities or other trading activities. The Company has
agreed that, for a period of 180 days after the Expiration Date, it will make
this prospectus, as amended or supplemented, available to any broker-dealer for
use in connection with any such resale. In addition, until , 200 , all dealers
effecting transactions in the Exchange Securities may be required to deliver a
prospectus.(1)

     The Company will not receive any proceeds from any sale of Exchange
Securities by broker-dealers. Exchange Securities received by broker-dealers for
their own account pursuant to the Exchange Offer may be sold from time to time
in one or more transactions in the over-the-counter market, in negotiated
transactions, through the writing of options on the Exchange Securities or a
combination of such methods of resale, at market prices prevailing at the time
of resale, at prices related to such prevailing market prices or negotiated
prices. Any such resale may be made directly to purchasers or to or through
brokers or dealers who may receive compensation in the form of commissions or
concessions from any such broker-dealer or the purchasers of any such Exchange
Securities. Any broker-dealer that resells Exchange Securities that were
received by it for its own account pursuant to the Exchange Offer and any broker
or dealer that participates in a distribution of such Exchange Securities may be
deemed to be an "underwriter" within the meaning of the Securities Act and any
profit on any such resale of Exchange Securities and any commission or
concessions received by any such persons may be deemed to be underwriting
compensation under the Securities Act. The Letter of Transmittal states that, by
acknowledging that it will deliver and by delivering a prospectus, a
broker-dealer will not be deemed to admit that it is an "underwriter" within the
meaning of the Securities Act.

     For a period of 180 days after the Expiration Date the Company will
promptly send additional copies of this Prospectus and any amendment or
supplement to this Prospectus to any broker-dealer that requests such documents
in the Letter of Transmittal. The Company has agreed to pay all expenses
incident to the Exchange Offer (including the expenses of one counsel for the
Holders of the Securities) other than commissions or concessions of any brokers
or dealers and will indemnify the Holders of the Securities (including any
broker-dealers) against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the
Securities Act.

----------
(1) In addition, the legend required by Item 502(b) of Regulation S-K will
appear on the back cover page of the Exchange Offer prospectus.

                                       20
<Page>

                                                                         ANNEX D

/ /  CHECK HERE IF YOU ARE A BROKER-DEALER AND WISH TO RECEIVE 10 ADDITIONAL
COPIES OF THE PROSPECTUS AND 10 COPIES OF ANY AMENDMENTS OR SUPPLEMENTS THERETO.

         Name:
               -----------------------------------
         Address:
                  --------------------------------

If the undersigned is not a broker-dealer, the undersigned represents that it is
not engaged in, and does not intend to engage in, a distribution of Exchange
Securities. If the undersigned is a broker-dealer that will receive Exchange
Securities for its own account in exchange for Initial Securities that were
acquired as a result of market-making activities or other trading activities, it
acknowledges that it will deliver a prospectus in connection with any resale of
such Exchange Securities; however, by so acknowledging and by delivering a
prospectus, the undersigned will not be deemed to admit that it is an
"underwriter" within the meaning of the Securities Act.

                                       21<Page>

                                                                     Exhibit 4.5

                             SHAREHOLDERS AGREEMENT

             THIS SHAREHOLDERS AGREEMENT (this "AGREEMENT") dated as of March
17, 2000 is by and among Tabletop Holdings Inc., a Delaware corporation
(together with any corporate successor thereto, whether by merger,
consolidation, or otherwise, the "COMPANY"), Tabletop Holdings, LLC, a Delaware
limited liability company (the "LLC"), the Persons named in SCHEDULE I as
Mezzanine Investors (the "MEZZANINE INVESTORS") and the Persons named in
SCHEDULE I as Purchasers (collectively, the "PURCHASERS"). The Purchasers,
together with the Company, the LLC and the Mezzanine Investors, are hereinafter
referred to as the "PARTIES." In this Agreement, "SHAREHOLDERS" shall refer to
the LLC, the Mezzanine Investors and the Purchasers, and "SHARES" shall refer to
the shares of Common Stock (as defined below) held by the Shareholders
(including options to acquire shares of Common Stock) or which the Mezzanine
Investors have a right to purchase pursuant to the Warrants (as defined below).

             WHEREAS, the LLC, the Mezzanine Investors and the Purchasers have
each committed to invest in the Company either through a contribution to capital
or the purchase of securities of the Company and such investments have enabled
Tabletop Acquisition Corp. to purchase the Business (as defined in that certain
Asset Purchase Agreement by and among Monsanto Company, Tablesweet Inc., Searle
Patients in Need Foundation and the Company, dated as of February 3, 2000 (the
"PURCHASE AGREEMENT"));

             WHEREAS, the LLC is the holder of 8,550,000 shares of common stock,
par value $.01 per share, of the Company (the "COMMON STOCK") as of the date
hereof;

             WHEREAS, the Mezzanine Investors are the holder of warrants to
purchase 450,000 shares of Common Stock (the "WARRANTS," and together with the
Common Stock, the "COMPANY SECURITIES") as of the date hereof;

             WHEREAS, the Purchasers will be entitled to purchase up to an
aggregate of ____ shares of Common Stock as of the date hereof; and

             WHEREAS, the Parties deem it desirable to provide for certain
rights and restrictions as set forth in this Agreement.

             NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual promises made
herein and other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of
which are hereby acknowledged, the Parties, intending to be legally bound, agree
as follows:

             1.    PUBLIC OFFERING. In connection with an underwritten sale of
the Company's common equity securities pursuant to an effective registration
statement under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, filed with the
Securities and Exchange Commission on Form S-1, S-2 or S-3 (or any successor
forms) as approved by the Board of Directors of the Company (a "PUBLIC
OFFERING"), each Party hereto shall vote for and consent to any actions required
with respect to such Public Offering (to the extent the Parties have any voting
or

<Page>

consent right) and raise no objections against such Public Offering, and the
Parties shall take all reasonable actions in connection with the consummation of
such Public Offering as requested by the Board of Directors of the Company (the
"BOARD") (including, without limitation, consenting to and raising no objections
against any merger, consolidation or reorganization of the Company in connection
with a Public Offering (collectively, a "CORPORATE CONVERSION") and taking all
necessary or desirable actions in connection with the consummation of such
Corporate Conversion, including executing and delivering any shareholders
agreement or other document or agreement necessary to effect the same).

             2.    BOARD OF DIRECTORS. (a) The Board shall consist of nine
members, such number to be reduced as set forth herein.

             (b)   The Purchasers, collectively as a group, shall have the right
to designate one member to serve on the Board (the "PURCHASER DESIGNEE") so long
as the Purchasers hold at least 50% of the Shares (as adjusted by reason of any
stock dividend, stock split, split-up, recapitalization, merger or other change
in the corporate or capital structure of the Company) that the Purchasers have
committed to purchase within 10 business days after the Closing Date (as defined
in the Purchase Agreement). The Purchaser Designee shall be designated after
such 10 business day period after the Closing Date by the holders of a majority
of the Shares then held by the Purchasers. If the Purchasers are no longer
entitled to designate the Purchaser Designee the number of members of the Board
shall be reduced by one.

             (c)   J. H. Whitney Mezzanine Fund, L.P. and J. H. Whitney Market
Value Fund, L.P. (collectively, "J. H. WHITNEY"), shall have the right to
designate one member to serve on the Board (the "MEZZANINE DESIGNEE") so long as
50% of the initial principal amount of the "Notes" (as defined in the Securities
Purchase Agreement by and among Tabletop Acquisition Corp., the Company, J. H.
Whitney Mezzanine Fund, L.P., J. H. Whitney Market Value Fund, L.P., The
Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company and Garmark Partners L.P. dated as of
March __, 2000) issued to J. H. Whitney on the Closing Date remains outstanding.
If J. H. Whitney is no longer entitled to designate the Mezzanine Designee the
number of members of the Board shall be reduced by one.

             (d)   The LLC shall have the right to designate seven members of
the Board (the "LLC DESIGNEES") so long as the LLC or one of its Affiliates
holds a majority of the issued and outstanding shares of Common Stock (it being
understood that MSD Capital and Carolwood Tabletop Holdings, LLC (the "LLC
INVESTORS") shall each have the right to designate one of the LLC Designees so
long as such LLC Investor or one of its Affiliates to whom its Membership
Interests (as defined in the LLC Agreement) in the LLC have been transferred in
accordance with the Amended and Restated Limited Liability Company Agreement of
the LLC, as the same may be amended from time to time (the "LLC AGREEMENT"), is
a member of the LLC).

                                        2
<Page>

             (e)   Until the termination of this Agreement, each Shareholder
agrees to vote all of its Shares and any other shares of Common Stock over which
such Shareholder has voting control and to take all other necessary or desirable
actions within its control (including, without limitation, attendance at
meetings in person or by proxy for purposes of obtaining a quorum and execution
of written consents in lieu of meetings) so that the Purchaser Designee, the
Mezzanine Designee and the LLC Designees shall be elected to, and continue to
serve on, the Board. Without limiting the generality of the preceding sentence,
the Shareholders agree not to vote to remove any of the Purchaser Designee, the
Mezzanine Designee or the LLC Designees so long as each of the Purchasers, the
Mezzanine Investor or the LLC, as applicable, is entitled to designate such
designee to the Board.

             3.    TRANSFER OF SHARES.

             (a)   Unless otherwise permitted by this Agreement, the
Shareholders shall not sell, assign, transfer, pledge, hypothecate, mortgage,
encumber, change the record or beneficial ownership or otherwise dispose of all
or any of their Company Securities (a "TRANSFER"). If a Transfer is permitted by
this Agreement, (i) such Shareholder will be responsible for compliance with all
conditions of transfer imposed by this Agreement and under applicable law and
for any expenses incurred by the Company for legal and/or accounting services in
connection with reviewing any proposed Transfer or issuing opinions in
connection therewith and (ii) any transferee pursuant to Section 3 shall agree
in writing with the Parties, as a condition to such Transfer, to be bound by all
of the provisions of this Agreement to the same extent as if such transferee
were such Shareholder.

             (b)   Notwithstanding the provisions of SECTION 3(a), a Shareholder
may effect a Transfer of its Company Securities (i) to an Affiliate of such
Shareholder; PROVIDED, THAT, in the case of such a Transfer to any member of the
immediate family of such Shareholder, or to a custodian, trustee or other
fiduciary for the account of such Shareholder or member of its immediate family,
such Transfer is made pursuant to a bona fide estate planning transaction; (ii)
by will or the laws of descent and distribution; (iii) in the case of the LLC,
to any member of the LLC; (iv) in the case of any Mezzanine Investor, to any
transferee of the Senior Subordinated Notes held by such Mezzanine Investor; (v)
to the Company; or (vi) to the LLC. For purposes of this Agreement, (i)
"AFFILIATE" means, with respect to any Person, any other Person that directly or
indirectly controls, is controlled by or is under common control with such
Person, a member of the immediate family of a natural Person or a trust for the
benefit of a natural Person or such Person's immediate family; (ii) "IMMEDIATE
FAMILY" shall have the meaning assigned to it in Instruction 2 to Paragraph (a)
of Item 404 of Regulation S-K under the Securities Act as in effect on the date
hereof; and (iii) "PERSON" means any partnership, corporation, limited liability
company, joint venture, trust, business trust, governmental agency, cooperative,
association,

                                        3
<Page>

unincorporated association, individual or other entity, and the heirs,
executors, administrations, legal representatives, successors and assigns of
such person, as the context may require.

             (c)   Notwithstanding the provisions of SECTION 3(a), the LLC may
Transfer any of its Company Securities. In the event that the LLC desires to
sell to a proposed purchaser (an "LLC PURCHASER") any Shares other than in
accordance with SECTION 3(b) and other than the sale of Shares representing, in
the aggregate, not more than 8% of the Shares held by the LLC to any employee of
the Company or Tabletop Acquisition Corp. or any of their affiliates or to an
Employee (as defined in the Purchase Agreement) (a "COMPANY EMPLOYEE"): (i) each
Mezzanine Investor (or any permitted transferee of such Mezzanine Investor)
shall have the right, but not the obligation, to sell to the LLC Purchaser, as a
condition to such sale by the LLC, a total amount of Shares (after the exercise
of Warrants for such number of Shares) equal to the PRODUCT of (A) the aggregate
number of Shares proposed to be sold by the LLC MULTIPLIED by (B) a fraction
with a numerator equal to the amount of Shares that such Mezzanine Investor (or
any permitted transferee of such Mezzanine Investor) owns and a denominator
equal to the aggregate amount of shares of Common Stock (in each case, assuming
the exercise of the Warrants held by such Mezzanine Investor (or any permitted
transferee of such Mezzanine Investor)); and (ii) in the event such sale results
in the sale of at least 51% of the shares of Common Stock issued and
outstanding, each Purchaser (or any permitted transferee of such Purchaser)
shall have the right, but not the obligation, to sell to the LLC Purchaser, as a
condition to such sale by the LLC, a total amount of Shares (after the exercise
of any options to acquire Shares) equal to the PRODUCT of (A) the aggregate
number of Shares proposed to be sold by the LLC MULTIPLIED by (B) a fraction
with a numerator equal to the amount of Shares that such Purchaser (or any
permitted transferee of such Purchaser) owns and a denominator equal to the
aggregate amount of shares of Common Stock (in each case, assuming the exercise
of any options held by such Purchaser). If such Mezzanine Investor (or any
permitted transferee of such Mezzanine Investor) or such Purchaser (or any
permitted transferee of such Purchaser), if applicable, desires to so
participate in any sale under this SECTION 3(c), each such person shall give
notification of such desire to the Company and the LLC confirming such desire.
The LLC, such Mezzanine Investor (or any permitted transferee of such Mezzanine
Investor) or such Purchaser (or any permitted transferee of such Purchaser), if
applicable, shall sell to the LLC Purchaser all, or at the option of the LLC
Purchaser, any part of the Shares proposed to be sold by them pursuant to this
SECTION 3(c) upon the same terms and conditions; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that any
purchase of less than all of such Shares by the LLC Purchaser shall be made from
the LLC, such Mezzanine Investor (or any permitted transferee of such Mezzanine
Investor) and such Purchaser, (or any permitted transferee of such Purchaser) if
applicable, pro rata based upon the relative amount of Shares that the LLC, such
Mezzanine Investor (or any permitted transferee of such Mezzanine Investor) and
such Purchaser (or any permitted transferee of such Purchaser), if applicable,
are otherwise entitled to sell pursuant to this SECTION 3(c).

                                        4
<Page>

             (d)   (i) If any Person , together with its Affiliates
        (collectively, the "CONTROLLING PERSON"), other than Pegasus Partners
        II, L.P. or its Affiliates to whom its Membership Interests (as defined
        in the LLC Agreement) have been transferred in accordance with the LLC
        Agreement (collectively, "PEGASUS"), or a transferee of the Membership
        Interests of Pegasus pursuant to Section 6.2(b) of the LLC Agreement,
        becomes the owner of more than 80% of the Membership Interests, then
        each Mezzanine Investor (or any permitted transferee of such Mezzanine
        Investor) shall have the right, but not the obligation, to sell to such
        Controlling Person, as a condition to such Controlling Person purchasing
        or otherwise acquiring the Membership Interests, the acquisition of
        which causes such Controlling Person to own more than 80% of the
        Membership Interests (the "CONTROL INTERESTS"), all of its Shares (after
        the exercise of Warrants for such Shares) at an aggregate purchase price
        equal to the fair market value.

             (ii)  If Pegasus desires to sell any Membership Interests such that
        immediately after such sale Pegasus, together with any Person to whom
        Pegasus has transferred Membership Interests pursuant to Section 6.2(b)
        of the LLC Agreement (the "PEGASUS HOLDERS"), will own less than 50% of
        the Membership Interests owned by Pegasus on the date hereof, then each
        Mezzanine Investor (or any permitted transferee of such Mezzanine
        Investor) shall have the right, but not the obligation, to sell to the
        Person purchasing or otherwise acquiring the Membership Interests (the
        "ACQUIRING PERSON"), all of the Shares owned by it (after the exercise
        of Warrants for such Shares) at an aggregate purchase price equal to the
        fair market value of such Shares.

             (iii) If the only material asset of the LLC is the Shares held by
        the LLC, "fair market value" shall equal (A) the percentage of the
        outstanding Common Stock represented by the Shares held by such
        Mezzanine Investor (or such permitted transferee of such Mezzanine
        Investor), TIMES (B) the price per Control Interest or Membership
        Interest, as applicable, paid by the Controlling Person or the Acquiring
        Person, as applicable, multiplied by 100. If the LLC owns material
        assets other than the Shares held by the LLC, "fair market value" shall
        be determined by a nationally recognized investment banking firm or
        other third party appraiser selected by the Board, such determination to
        be subject to the reasonable approval of the Board.

             (e)   (i) If any Shareholder other than the LLC desires to Transfer
        Shares (such Shareholder being herein referred to as the "TRANSFEROR
        SHAREHOLDER"), other than in accordance with SECTION 3(b), then such
        Transfer must be to a Person who shall have made a BONA FIDE offer to
        purchase such Shares and the Transferor Shareholder shall promptly
        furnish to all other Shareholders (the "SHAREHOLDER OFFEREES") and the
        Company a Notification (the "NOTICE OF TRANSFER") of such desire to
        Transfer such Shares and of the BONA fide offered price for such Shares
        proposed to be Transferred, the method of

                                        5
<Page>

        payment of such offered price, the identity of the prospective purchaser
        or purchasers (the "PROPOSED PURCHASER") and all other pertinent terms
        and conditions of such BONA FIDE offer.

             (ii)  For a period of 15 days commencing on the date of its receipt
        of the Notice of Transfer, the Shareholder Offerees shall have the right
        to purchase all or any portion of the Shares proposed to be Transferred
        upon the same terms and conditions and at the BONA FIDE offer price as
        described in the Notice of Transfer. The specific portion of such Shares
        which each Shareholder Offeree shall be so entitled to purchase shall be
        determined on a PRO RATA basis in proportion to the respective Shares of
        each Shareholder Offeree desiring to purchase the offered Shares
        available for purchase. Any Shareholder Offeree desiring so to purchase
        Shares shall give Notification of such desire to the Transferor
        Shareholder and the Company and all other Shareholder Offerees
        confirming such desire and the proposed terms of purchase. In the event
        that any Shareholder Offeree does not purchase its full PRO RATA share
        of any such Shares proposed to be Transferred, such unpurchased Shares
        shall be offered by the Transferor Shareholder to the Shareholder
        Offerees subscribing to purchase Shares on a PRO RATA basis on similar
        terms of purchase. In the event that the Shareholder Offerees do not
        purchase, in accordance with the provisions of this clause (ii), all of
        the Shares proposed to be Transferred as described in the Notice of
        Transfer, the Company shall have the exclusive right by a vote of the
        disinterested directors, to agree to purchase all or any portion of such
        Shares proposed to be Transferred that remain after the application of
        this SECTION (c)(ii) upon the same terms and conditions as described in
        the Notice of Transfer. If the Company desires to so purchase such
        Shares it shall give Notification of such desire to the Transferor
        Shareholder and all other Shareholders confirming such desire and the
        proposed terms of purchase. No such Shares shall be made available for
        purchase by any non-Shareholder pursuant to the remaining provisions of
        this SECTION 3 unless and until all Shareholder Offerees and the Company
        shall have had an opportunity to purchase all such Shares in accordance
        with the provisions of this clause (ii).

             (iii) The closing of any purchase by the Company or any Shareholder
        Offerees of any offered Shares as provided in this SECTION 3(e) shall
        take place on such date as designated by the Company or such Shareholder
        Offeree occurring within 30 days after receipt by the Transferor
        Shareholder of the last Notification to be provided to the Transferor
        Shareholder in accordance with the terms hereof from the Company or such
        Shareholder Offeree of the exercise of the Company's or such Shareholder
        Offeree's right to purchase hereunder. At such closing, the Transferor
        Shareholder shall deliver to the Company or such Shareholder Offeree, as
        the case may be, such documentation as the Company or such Shareholder
        Offeree shall reasonably request to evidence the Transfer

                                        6
<Page>

        of such offered Shares, against payment therefor by the Company or such
        Shareholder Offeree.

             (iv)  In the event that, after compliance with the foregoing
        provisions of this SECTION 3(e), the Company and the Shareholder
        Offerees, taken together, fail to purchase all of the Shares proposed to
        be Transferred by the Transferor Shareholder, then for a period of 60
        days commencing on the date that neither the Company nor any Shareholder
        Offeree remains entitled to exercise its right to purchase any offered
        Shares in accordance with the foregoing provisions of this SECTION 3(e),
        the Transferor Shareholder may Transfer to the Proposed Purchaser all of
        the Shares described in the Notice of Transfer; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that
        any such Transfer to the Proposed Purchaser must be made for the
        consideration and upon the terms and conditions set forth in the Notice
        of Transfer. If the Transferor Shareholder shall not consummate the
        Transfer of such Shares to the Proposed Purchaser within such 60-day
        period, such Shares shall remain subject to the provisions of this
        Agreement and the Transferor Shareholder shall not thereafter Transfer
        any such Shares to any Person without again first complying with all of
        the provisions of this Agreement.

             (f)   Any purported Transfer of any Company Securities in violation
of the provisions of this Agreement shall be wholly void and shall not
effectuate the Transfer contemplated thereby. Notwithstanding anything contained
herein to the contrary, no Shareholder may Transfer any Company Securities in
violation of any provision of this Agreement or in violation of the Securities
Act of 1933, as amended, and any applicable state securities laws.

             (g)   BRING ALONG RIGHTS. Notwithstanding the provisions of SECTION
3(a), if the LLC proposes to sell at least 50% of the shares of Common Stock
held by it and the purchaser (or any group of purchasers that would, under
Section 13(d)(3) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, be deemed a "person")
in such transaction will, after consummation thereof (taking into account the
purchase of Shares by such purchaser pursuant to the next clause of this
sentence), own over 50% of the shares of Common Stock, the LLC may specify for
each other Shareholder, as applicable: (i) a required amount of shares of Common
Stock that such Shareholder must sell or (ii) a required amount of shares of
Common Stock that such Shareholder has a right to purchase pursuant to the
Warrants that such Shareholder must purchase and sell. Such amount shall be
equal to the amount of Shares (assuming the exercise of the Warrants) owned by
such Shareholder multiplied by a fraction the numerator of which is the
aggregate amount of shares of Common Stock proposed to be sold by the LLC and
the denominator of which is the aggregate amount of shares of Common Stock owned
by the LLC at the time the notification of the proposed Transfer was given. Each
other Shareholder agrees that it shall sell shares of Common Stock on the terms
of this SECTION 3(g), when and if the LLC sells shares of Common Stock, in

                                        7
<Page>

accordance with any notification of a proposed Transfer that it receives from
the LLC; provided that each such Shareholder (i) shall bear the same proportion
of the expenses of sale as the amount shares of Common Stock sold by such
Shareholder bears to the total amount of shares of Common Stock sold, and (ii)
shall sell shares of Common Stock on the same terms and conditions as those
applicable to the sale by the LLC.

             (h) Upon the termination of employment with the Company of any
Purchaser for any reason, the Company may, at its election, purchase, and if
such election is made by the Company, the Purchaser shall sell, all of the
shares of Common Stock then owned by such Purchaser at a purchase price per
share equal to the fair market value of a share, as determined by the Board in
its reasonable judgement, as of the date of termination of employment.

             4.    PREEMPTIVE RIGHTS.

             (a) In the event that the Company wishes to issue, grant or sell
any shares of Common Stock (other than (i) shares of Common Stock issued to a
Person in connection with a strategic investment representing more than 10% of
the shares of Common Stock measured on a fully diluted basis as determined by
the Board, (ii) shares of Common Stock issued pursuant to a stock option plan of
the Company representing, in the aggregate, not more than 10% of the Common
Stock outstanding or (iii) shares of Common Stock issued to a Company Employee
representing, in the aggregate, not more than 10% of the Common Stock
outstanding; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that the aggregate amount of shares of Common
Stock deemed to be issued to a Company Employee for purposes of this clause
(iii) shall include any Shares sold by the LLC to any Company Employee (and
shall include any Shares sold by the LLC to a Company Employee as contemplated
by the second sentence of Section 3(c) of this Agreement), but shall not include
any shares of Common Stock issued pursuant to a stock option plan of the
Company), the Company shall give the Shareholders notice (the "ISSUE NOTICE") in
writing stating, as to such proposed issuance, grant or sale, the amount of
Shares to be issued, granted or sold, the cash price, if any, at which such
Shares are to be issued, granted or sold (the "PROPOSED PRICE"), the percentage
of such Shares that each Shareholder shall have the right to acquire (determined
as set forth below), and any other terms and conditions pertaining to such
proposed issuance, grant or sale (the "PROPOSED CONDITIONS"). The Issue Notice
shall be deemed to constitute an irrevocable offer (open to acceptance for a
period of 15 days from the date of receipt by the Shareholders of the Issue
Notice (the "ISSUE PERIOD")) to the Shareholders to participate, on a PRO RATA
basis, in such issuance, grant or sale. Each Shareholder shall have the right to
acquire up to that amount of Shares equal to its portion, calculated on a
fully-diluted basis, of the Shares of all of the Shareholders at the Proposed
Price and otherwise upon the Proposed Conditions.

             (b) Each of the Shareholders may elect to participate in such
issuance, grant or sale by delivering a written notice of such participation
(which notice shall indicate the amount

                                        8
<Page>

of Shares such Shareholder elects to acquire, which may be all or any portion of
the Shares such Shareholder is entitled to acquire and, in the case of a sale,
the date, which shall be a Business Day within 15 days after the notice of
participation is given, on which such Shareholder elects to close such purchase)
on or prior to the last day of the Issue Period.

             (c) The closing of a purchase of Shares by a Shareholder shall
take place at the principal office of the Company on the date specified in such
Shareholder's notice of participation. At such closing, the Shareholder shall
deliver a bank check or wire transfer of immediately available funds to the
Company in the amount of the purchase price applicable to the Shares being
purchased by such Shareholder.

             (d) Upon the expiration of the Issue Period described above, the
Company will be free to issue, grant or sell, for a period of 120 days following
the termination of the Issue Period, such Shares which the Shareholders have not
elected to so acquire at a price not less than the Proposed Price and otherwise
on terms and conditions no more favorable to the acquirors thereof than the
Proposed Conditions. Any Share not issued, granted or sold by the Company within
such 120-day period shall once again be subject to all the terms of this SECTION
4.1(g) and must be offered to the Shareholders pursuant to this Section prior to
any offering thereof to others. Any Person who shall acquire Shares pursuant to
this SECTION 4.1(g) and who is not otherwise a party to this Agreement, shall as
a condition to acquiring such Shares be required to execute a counterpart of
this Agreement. Upon execution of such counterpart, the acquiring Person shall
have, to the extent of the Share acquired, the rights and powers and shall be
subject to the restrictions and liabilities of a Shareholder under this
Agreement.

             5.    MISCELLANEOUS.

             (a)   SPECIFIC PERFORMANCE. The Parties agree that irreparable
damage would occur in the event that any of the provisions of this Agreement
were not performed in accordance with their specific terms or were otherwise
breached. It is accordingly agreed that the Parties shall be entitled to an
injunction or injunctions to prevent breaches of this Agreement and to enforce
specifically the terms and provisions of this Agreement in any court within the
United States, this being in addition to any other remedy to which they are
entitled at law or in equity.

             (b)   EXPENSES. All costs and expenses incurred in connection with
this Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby shall be paid by the
Party incurring such expense.

             (c)   ENTIRE AGREEMENT; AMENDMENTS. This Agreement and the
documents delivered pursuant hereto contain the entire understanding of the
Parties hereto with regard to the subject matter contained herein or therein,
and supersede all prior agreements, understandings or letters of intent between
or among any of the Parties hereto. This Agreement shall not be

                                        9
<Page>

amended, modified or supplemented without the written consent of each of (i) the
Company, (ii) the LLC (which consent shall have been approved by Members holding
at least 80% of the Membership Interests if such amendment, modification or
supplement adversely affects the Members as a whole; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that if
such amendment, modification or supplement specifically adversely affects a
Member (as opposed to the Members as a whole), the consent of such Member shall
be required unless such Member is a "Defaulting Member" as defined in the LLC
Agreement), (iii) in the event that such amendment, modification or supplement
adversely affects the Mezzanine Investors, the holders of a majority of the
Shares then held by the Mezzanine Investors (measured on a fully diluted basis)
and (iv) in the event that such amendment, modification or supplement adversely
affects the Purchasers, the holders of a majority of the Shares then held by the
Purchasers.

             (d)   WAIVERS. Any term or provision of this Agreement may be
waived, or the time for its performance may be extended, by the Party or Parties
entitled to the benefit thereof. Any such waiver shall be validly and
sufficiently given for the purposes of this Agreement if, as to any Party, it is
in writing signed by an authorized representative of such Party. The failure of
any Party hereto to enforce at any time any provision of this Agreement shall
not be construed to be a waiver of such provision, nor in any way to affect the
validity of this Agreement or any part hereof or the right of any Party
thereafter to enforce each and every such provision. No waiver of any breach of
this Agreement shall be held to constitute a waiver of any other or subsequent
breach.

             (e)   PARTIAL INVALIDITY. Wherever possible, each provision hereof
shall be interpreted in such manner as to be effective and valid under
applicable law, but in case any one or more of the provisions contained herein
shall, for any reason, be held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable in any
respect, such provision shall be ineffective to the extent, but only to the
extent, of such invalidity, illegality or unenforceability without invalidating
the remainder of such provision or provisions or any other provisions hereof,
unless such a construction would be unreasonable.

             (f)   EXECUTION IN COUNTERPARTS. This Agreement may be executed in
counterparts, each of which shall be considered an original instrument, but all
of which shall be considered one and the same agreement, and shall become
binding when one or more counterparts have been signed by each of the Parties
hereto and delivered to each of the Parties hereto.

             (g)   GOVERNING LAW. This Agreement shall be governed by and
construed in accordance with the internal laws (as opposed to the conflicts of
law provisions) of the State of Delaware.

                                       10
<Page>

             (h)   EXECUTION OF DOCUMENTS. Each Party agrees to execute all
documents necessary to carry out the purpose of this Agreement and to cooperate
with each other for the expeditious filing of any and all documents and the
fulfillment of the terms of this Agreement.

             (i)   SUCCESSORS AND ASSIGNS. All covenants and agreements in this
Agreement by or on behalf of any of the Parties hereto shall bind and inure to
the benefit of the respective successors and assigns of the Parties hereto
whether so expressed or not.

             (j)   DESCRIPTIVE HEADINGS; INTERPRETATION; NO STRICT CONSTRUCTION.
The descriptive headings of this Agreement are inserted for convenience only and
do not constitute a substantive part of this Agreement. Whenever required by the
context, any pronoun used in this Agreement shall include the corresponding
masculine, feminine or neuter forms, and singular forms of nouns, pronouns, and
verbs shall include the plural and vice versa. Reference to any agreement,
document, or instrument means such agreement, document, or instrument as amended
or otherwise modified from time to time in accordance with the terms thereof,
and if applicable hereof. The use of the words "include," "includes" or
"including" in this Agreement shall be by way of example rather than by
limitation. The use of the words "or," "either" or "any" shall not be exclusive.
The Parties hereto have participated jointly in the negotiating and drafting of
this Agreement. In the event an ambiguity or question of intent or
interpretation arises, this Agreement shall be construed as if drafted by each
of the Parties hereto, and no presumption or burden of proof shall arise
favoring or disfavoring any Party by virtue of the authorship of any of the
provisions of this Agreement.

             (k)   NOTICES. All notices, demands or other communications to be
given or delivered under or by reason of the provisions of this Agreement shall
be in writing and shall be deemed to have been given when (a) delivered
personally to the recipient, (b) telecopied to the recipient (with hard copy
sent to the recipient by reputable overnight courier service (charges prepaid)
that same day) if telecopied before 5:00 p.m. New York City time on a business
day, and otherwise on the next business day, or (c) one business day after being
sent to the recipient by reputable overnight courier service (charges prepaid).
Such notices, demands and other communications shall be sent to the Company at
the address set forth below and to the other Parties at such address as
indicated by the Company's records, or at such address or to the attention of
such other Person as the recipient Party has specified by prior written notice
to the sending Party. The Company's address is:

             c/o Pegasus Partners II, L.P.
             99 River Road
             Cos Cob, CT 06807
             Attention: David Uri
             Telephone:  (203) 869-4400

                                       11
<Page>

             Telecopy:  (203) 869-6940

             (l)   DELIVERY BY FACSIMILE. This Agreement, the agreements
referred to herein, and each other agreement or instrument entered into in
connection herewith or therewith or contemplated hereby or thereby, and any
amendments hereto or thereto, to the extent signed and delivered by means of a
facsimile machine, shall be treated in all manner and respects as an original
agreement or instrument and shall be considered to have the same binding legal
effect as if it were the original signed version thereof delivered in person. At
the request of any Party hereto or to any such agreement or instrument, each
other Party hereto or thereto shall re-execute original forms thereof and
deliver them to all other Parties. No Party hereto or to any such agreement or
instrument shall raise the use of a facsimile machine to deliver a signature or
the fact that any signature or agreement or instrument was transmitted or
communicated through the use of a facsimile machine as a defense to the
formation or enforceability of a contract and each such Party forever waives any
such defense.

             (m)   THIRD PARTY BENEFICIARIES. Each of the Parties recognizes and
agrees that each of MSD Capital and Carolwood Tabletop Holdings, LLC are express
third party beneficiaries of SECTION 2(d) of this Agreement.

             (n)   TERM. This Agreement shall continue at all times hereafter
and terminate only upon the first to occur of the following: (i) the date on
which the Company completes the distribution to the Shareholders of all net
proceeds resulting from the sale of all or substantially all of its assets; (ii)
the effective date of a merger or consolidation if stockholders of the Company
own, immediately following such merger or consolidation, less than 50% of the
equity securities of the surviving corporation; or (iii) the consummation by the
Company of a Public Offering.

             (o)   LEGEND. Each certificate evidencing any shares of Common
Stock and Warrants shall bear a legend substantially as follows:

             "THIS SECURITY HAS NOT BEEN REGISTERED UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF
             1933 OR ANY STATE SECURITIES LAWS AND MAY NOT BE TRANSFERRED OR
             OTHERWISE DISPOSED OF UNLESS IT HAS BEEN REGISTERED UNDER SUCH ACT
             AND ALL SUCH APPLICABLE LAWS OR ANY EXEMPTION FROM REGISTRATION IS
             AVAILABLE."

             "THE SECURITY REPRESENTED BY THIS CERTIFICATE MAY BE TRANSFERRED
             ONLY IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE TERMS OF AN AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE
             CORPORATION AND THE SECURITYHOLDER, A COPY OF WHICH IS ON FILE WITH
             THE

                                       12
<Page>

             SECRETARY OF THE CORPORATION. THIS CONDITION TO TRANSFER SHALL
             TERMINATE AS SET FORTH IN SUCH AGREEMENT. THE VOTING OF THE
             SECURITIES REPRESENTED BY THIS CERTIFICATE IS ALSO SUBJECT TO
             CERTAIN TERMS AND CONDITIONS SET FORTH IN SUCH AGREEMENT."

                                    *   *   *   *   *

                                       13
<Page>

             IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Agreement
as of the date first written above.

                                          TABLETOP HOLDINGS INC.

                                          By:      /s/ David Uri
                                                --------------------------------
                                          Name: David Uri
                                          Its:  Vice-President

                                          TABLETOP HOLDINGS, LLC

                                          By:      /s/ David Uri
                                                --------------------------------
                                          Name: David Uri
                                          Its:  Vice-President

<Page>

                                                         Shareholders' Agreement

MEZZANINE INVESTORS:

                                    J.H. WHITNEY MEZZANINE FUND, L.P.

                                    By:  Whitney GP, L.L.C.,
                                         its General Partner

                                    By:     /s/ Illegible
                                         ---------------------------------------
                                         Name:
                                         A Managing Member

                                    J.H. WHITNEY MARKET VALUE FUND, L.P.

                                    By:  Whitney Market Value GP, Ltd.,
                                         its General Partner

                                    By:     /s/ Illegible
                                         ---------------------------------------
                                         Name:
                                         A Managing Member

                                    THE NORTHWESTERN MUTUAL LIFE
                                         INSURANCE COMPANY

                                    By:     /s/ Richard A. Strait
                                         ---------------------------------------
                                         Name:     Richard A. Strait
                                         Title:    Its Authorized Representative

<Page>

                                    GARMARK PARTNERS, L.P.

                                    By:  Garmark Associates L.L.C.,
                                         its General Partner

                                    By:     /s/ Illegible
                                         ---------------------------------------
                                         Authorized Signatory

                                    By:     /s/ Illegible
                                         ---------------------------------------
                                         Authorized Signatory

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