Fresh produce giant Del Monte has announced the launch of its first-ever branded, whole, prepared pineapple in the UK this month.
According to the company, its premium Del Monte Gold Extra Sweet Pineapple has been cored and peeled in order to appeal to the 'increasingly convenience-driven and health-focused needs' of today’s UK consumers.
Del Monte hopes to attract a new, younger audience with this launch, which has been timed to coincide with the summer months.
The new fresh convenience product, dubbed Naked Pineapple, is a response to the company's findings that only 35 per cent of households purchase whole pineapples, citing barriers such as ‘fiddly preparation’ and ‘challenging to select’.
James Harvey, managing director at Del Monte UK, commented: 'The prepared fruit category has not seen any significant innovation in the past few years and has not achieved the penetration levels seen in other prepared categories such as salad and vegetables. We know this new offering will reinvigorate the category and attract new and lapsed users.'
According to the company, the Del Monte Naked Fruit brand has already secured major listings with retailers Tesco and Budgens throughout the UK.
