Sun Pacific’s Cuties mandarins are being sold in McDonald’s restaurants in Austin, Texas as part of a trial running over two weekends in February. The mandarins are being offered as a side option for the company’s Happy Meals and Mighty Kids Meals as part of its ongoing drive to promote healthy eating amongst children. The fruit can also be bought individually at participating restaurants.
During the trial, both companies will support sales through local public relations and targeted social media.
McDonald’s first introduced fresh fruit options to its Happy Meals in 2012 with the launch of its bagged apple slices, sales of which have since topped 850m bags.
Since its launch in the early 2000s, Sun Pacific’s Cuties clementine brand have become a popular addition to California’s citrus line-up, with annual sales exceeding 20m cartons. Available from November through to April, the peak sales period is the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays.
Last November, Paramount Citrus launched a rival mandarin brand, Wonderful Halos, which is being backed by a five-year, US$100m marketing campaign.
Both companies are believed to be in talks with growers in the Southern Hemisphere in order to be able to offer the labels year-round.
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