Extension of Offer Period for Benckiser Merger

Reckitt & Colman PLC
17 November 1999


Not for release, publication or distribution, in whole or
in part, in or into the United States, Canada, Australia
                        or Japan.
                                                        
    Proposed merger of Reckitt & Colman and Benckiser
                Extension of Offer Period


Reckitt & Colman plc and Benckiser NV announce that  very
significant  progress has been made with  regard  to  the
U.S.  competition  approval process, which  is  the  only
remaining  regulatory  consent  required  to  effect  the
proposed   merger   between  the   two   companies.    In
particular, agreement has been reached with the Staff  of
the Bureau of Competition of the Federal Trade Commission
(FTC)  on terms of a consent decree which relates to  two
non-core  brands  in the U.S., Delicare and  Scrub  Free.
Contracts  for  sale  related to these  two  brands  have
already  been  exchanged.  The FTC Staff  have  forwarded
this   consent  decree  and  related  materials  to   the
Commissioners   for  their  review.   The  Commissioners'
review  is expected to be completed within the  next  two
weeks.

Therefore,  the  closing date of  the  Offer  by  Reckitt
Benckiser  Holdings  B.V.,  a  subsidiary  of  Reckitt  &
Colman,  for Benckiser B shares has been further extended
from  17  November  1999 until 10 December  1999  pending
final review by the Commissioners of the FTC.

A  further  announcement will be made as soon  as  it  is
clear  when  completion  of the merger  can  take  place.
Although  the Offer has been extended until  10  December
1999,  the  Offer  Period may be closed  on  three  days'
notice   by  Reckitt  Benckiser  Holdings  B.V.   by   an
announcement to that effect.

For further information

David Saltmarsh               44 1753 746676
Company Secretary
Reckitt & Colman plc

Tom Corran
SVP Corporate Communications  31 20 405 7534
Benckiser N.V.

Bobby Leach                   44 171 905 2537
Shandwick

This  announcement and related materials  relate  to  the
Offer  and are not an extension of a tender offer in  the
United States or to any US person for any class of equity
securities  in Benckiser.  The Offer will  not  be  made,
directly  or  indirectly, in, or by use of any  means  of
instrumentality of interstate commerce or of  the  mails,
or  of  any facility of any national securities  exchange
of,  the  United  States (including  its  possessions  or
territories, any area subject to its jurisdiction and any
political  subdivision thereof) or to any US  person  and
cannot  be  accepted by any such use  or  otherwise  from
within  the  United  States or by  any  US  person.   Any
purported acceptance of the Offer involving, directly  or
indirectly,  any  such means, instrumentality,  mails  or
facility or otherwise from within the United States or by
any US person will be deemed invalid.

None  of the securities offered as consideration will  be
registered  under  the United States  Securities  Act  of
1933,   as   amended  (the  'Act').   Accordingly,   such
securities may not be offered, sold or delivered  in  the
United States or to US persons, unless an exemption  from
the registration requirements of the Act is available.

This announcement and related materials do not constitute
an offer of Reckitt & Colman Shares.