US grower-shipper Stemilt Growers and citrus marketing cooperative Sunkist have announced that they are bringing apples and citrus together in a new partnership that aims to boost fruit consumption among children.
Sunkist has joined Stemilt’s trademarked Lil Snappers programme, as it aims to market small-sized citrus under the popular consumer label.
'We’re excited to announce that Sunkist oranges and mandarins are coming soon to the Lil Snappers line of kid-sized fruits,' said Julie DeWolf, director of retail marketing at Sunkist Growers. 'Sunkist is thrilled to be working with Stemilt to jointly market citrus, apples, and pears to kids.'
The Lil Snappers product line consists of premium, kid-sized fruits packaged in three-pound bags, designed to stand up in retail displays and consumers’ refrigerators and boasting a convenient zipper for easy access and storage.
'Stemilt is equally excited about working with Sunkist to bring Lil Snappers to additional homes across the country,' said Roger Pepperl, Stemilt's marketing director. 'This partnership brings together two great companies working jointly to promote one great brand for kids.'
In addition to bringing Lil Snappers to the citrus category, Stemilt and Sunkist plan to introduce mixed-variety bags of Lil Snappers, such as Gala apples and Navel oranges, to get kids to try new varieties and flavours, with other exciting mixtures coming soon after.
'Kids like variety, especially when it comes to lunches or snacks,' said DeWolf. 'With the mixed variety bag, they have a greater number of options each week. By making Lil Snappers available in many new varieties, we’re pleasing kids’ palates and helping parents meet their goal of providing a balanced diet full of valuable antioxidants and nutrients.'
Both companies will maintain sales of their own products under the Lil Snappers brand, with Stemilt handling apples and pears, and Sunkist handling oranges.
In the coming months, Stemilt and Sunkist will launch a Lil Snappers website where visitors will be able to access kid-friendly recipes for apples, pears, and citrus, as well as activity sheets, nutrition information, and more.
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