Sliced apple slices

UK retailer Morrisons has launched a new range of prepared fruit pots and packs that offer convenient fresh fruit portions for whole families of consumers.

Sourced and designed in partnership with UK-based supplier Natures Way Foods (NWF), the unique pots and packs are designed to give consumers a week’s worth of fruit in a simple, user-friendly format.

For adults and older children, so-called fruit quad packs are being sold for £2.00 and contain chunks of melon, pineapple and seasonal fruit in four convenient individual 80g pots.

Developed as an ideal accompaniment to lunch, or as a dessert or healthy snack, the fruit can be consumed at home or out-and-about if kept chilled.

Each portion contains only 31 calories and contributes one portion of the recommended five a day.

Meanwhile, for kids at school or simply on the move, Morrisons and NWF have come up with a Fresh Fruit Selection multi-bag aimed at the lunch-box and picnic markets.

Each multi-pack bag, also priced at £2.00, contains three smaller bags containing apple slices and two bags of apple slices with grapes.

'We've been working with our fruit and packaging suppliers for 18 months to develop these new quad pots,' explained Sarah Baldock, head of marketing at NWF.

'The pots were created in response to research that showed consumers are keen to purchase freshly prepared fruit as part of their weekly shop - but they also want to ensure that the fruit will last all week,' she said.

The fruit pots represent a novel method of offering both convenience and value, Ms Baldock added.

'The fruits are freshly prepared and packed to remain fresh within the consumer shelf-life, minimising waste, so they can be enjoyed individually with the reassurance of the remaining pots staying fresh for the next few days.'

According to Hannah Barnes of Morrisons, children love the new Fresh Fruit Selection bags.

'Our range of fresh, lunch-box products have been very successful and we intend to continue to grow this sector with the introduction of more innovative, great value-for-money products,' she said.