Charles & Alice Launches Probiotic Fruit Pouch
LANCASTER, Pa.— In honor of Bastille Day, French chilled-fruit product innovator, Charles & Alice announces a revolution in healthy snacking. Kids! Fruit Probiotics deliciously combine the benefits of organic fruit with advanced probiotics to support digestive gut and immune health. Just two 3.2 oz. (90g) refrigerated pouches per day provide more than a full serving of fruit packed with 1 billion probiotic CFUs (colony forming units). Charles & Alice enters the U.S. market at an exciting time, with the fruit pouch category, estimated at approximately $500 million in annual retail sales, growing at about +15% per year.
“GanedenBC30, our spore-forming probiotic brand, is backed by over 25 published papers,” said John Quilter, VP & General Manager at Kerry Taste & Nutrition, the makers of GanedenBC30. “We are dedicated to providing science-backed, nutritional brands that can deliver digestive and immune health benefits for people of all ages, including children and their families. GanedenBC30’s high-quality research and safety record with FDA GRAS status from the United States FDA, helps ensure that people get an effective probiotic ingredient.”
“Kids! Fruit Probiotics are made in the U.S.A. at our upgraded, green-energy powered production facility in Lancaster, Pennsylvania,” said Jim Schneider, president, Charles & Alice North America. “We’re proud to make this multi-million-dollar commitment to improve the health and wellness offerings to children across America. Kids! Fruit Probiotics are Organic, Non-GMO, and have No Added Sweeteners or Preservatives, with about 50 calories per pouch.”
“The trend toward fresher, plant-based, healthier family snacking has become the fastest growing segment in the grocer’s refrigerated aisles,” said Joe Gordon, VP of sales, Charles & Alice North America. “Kids! Fruit Probiotics is a break-through innovation that is on-trend, and will create new growth opportunities for retailers.”
To lead the expansion plan, Charles & Alice has partnered with Crossmark, a leading sales and marketing services company in the consumer-packaged goods industry, and renowned creative agency Red Tettemer O’Connell + Partners (RTO+P) of Philadelphia.
“RTO+P has helped craft campaigns and product launches for natural food brands like Halo Top, Unreal, and Kellogg’s Morningstar Farms, as well as mainstream national brands like Dietz & Watson and Keurig Dr Pepper,” added Evan Eckman, VP of marketing, Charles & Alice North America. “The team brings a strong creative thinking and a passionate understanding of our audience and category.”
“We’re excited to lead the Charles & Alice Kids! Fruit Probiotics’ integrated digital and social campaign launching across thousands of store locations over the next months, rapidly expanding across the Americas in 2020,” said Carla Mote, managing partner of RTO+P.
“On behalf of kids across the Americas, we’re declaring our Independence from bland tasting fruit pouches, with a new delicious way to bring the benefits of daily probiotics to kids – just in time for their back-to-school routine,” Eckman said.
