Smart snacking for kids: Fortified fruit pouches featuring movie characters unveiled

30 Jan 2020 --- Charles & Alice in partnership with Kerry Group is unveiling its “immune-boosting,” all-natural fruit pouches featuring licensed characters from popular children’s movies. The idea is to make snack-time fun with Fruit Friends pouches, which are fortified with Wellmune, a natural yeast beta glucan clinically proven to help support the immune system.

The launch comes as the US fruit pouch category is rising in popularity and projected for growth estimated to be about US$500 million in annual retail sales, according to France-based Charles & Alice.

“Our new Fruit Friends with Wellmune fruit pouches feature characters from blockbuster films such as Frozen 2 and The Incredibles, as well as Marvel’s Avengers. Fruit Friends with Wellmune fruit pouches are organic, non-GMO, and have no added sweeteners or preservatives with 45 calories per pouch,” says Evan Eckman, VP of Marketing, Charles & Alice North America. “They’re a convenient way to provide children with a daily nutritious snack at school and at home.”

“Families want to support their children’s immune health with natural, safe and science-backed products that fit their busy lives and appeals to their picky eaters,” adds John Quilter, VP & General Manager at Kerry – the makers of Wellmune. “High-quality research and the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)’s GRAS status demonstrates Wellmune’s efficacy and its ability to safely help support immune function for people of all ages.”

Fruit Friends with Wellmune is made in the US at Charles & Alice’s upgraded, green-energy powered production facility in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

“The trend toward plant-based, healthier family snacking has become the fastest-growing segment in the grocer’s aisles. Fruit Friends with Wellmune is a breakthrough innovation that is on-trend and will create new growth opportunities for retailers,” says Joe Gordon, VP of Sales, Charles & Alice North America.

Fruit Friends with Wellmune is available in three flavors, including Orchard Apple, Strawberry Patch and Tropical Mango.

Edited by Gaynor Selby