Real fruit puree 1st ingredient means indulgent taste and freedom to enjoy every day
ERLANGER, KY – Perfetti Van Melle U.S.A., Inc. announces the first all new Fruit-tella product to launch in the U.S., Fruit-tella Soft Gummies. It’s a flavorful fruity candy innovation to meet the growing market of millennial families and their children craving tasty Better-For-You sweet indulgence options. Two fruit flavor combinations of Fruit-tella Soft Gummies will hit store shelves starting in November 2020 in 2 peg bag sizes, 3.2 oz and 5 oz.
Fruit-tella Soft Gummies will join the $150 million-plus Better-For-You confectionery segment that includes the $80 million real and natural confectionery segment that grew 64% since 2015, according to IRI 2019 U.S. industry data. This real and natural growth is 5 times faster than the traditional nonchocolate category in that 4-year time period.
What makes Fruit-tella Soft Gummies stand apart in this fast-growing category is its vibrantly natural, rich, full, fruity taste that comes from real fruit puree as the #1 ingredient. It uniquely creates a great new choice for today’s families and kids looking for fun, delicious AND better treat options that have real colors, flavors and sweetness from nature, without high-fructose corn syrup or peanuts/tree nuts.
Each Fruit-tella Soft Gummy has a fun and playful fruit character shape. The delicious soft chew candy filled with rich, real fruit flavor and is made with pectin (not gelatin) and other natural ingredients.
“Building on its 90-year heritage as a leading candy brand in Europe, we think Fruit-tella Soft Gummies is the right kind of innovation in the U.S. to offer balance in confectionery and expand the fast growing the Better-For-You candy segment,” said Sylvia Buxton, president and CEO of Perfetti Van Melle North America. “Now is the right time for retailers to harness this trend and grow their confection sales with a product like Fruit-tella Soft Gummies allowing candy lovers the freedom to say yes to better indulgences and outstanding taste.”
“We’re even more confident consumers will love Fruit-tella Soft Gummies after U.S testing of millennial adults and their children revealed they preferred the Fruit-tella Gummies over other leading Better-For-You candies because of its fruitier and more flavorful experience,” said Buxton.
Consumers can expect to start finding delicious Fruit-tella Soft Gummies in store candy aisles, check lanes and online starting in November 2020.
Product details
Flavors: 2 fruit flavor combinations, mixed Berry (Strawberry & Raspberry) and Peach & Mango.
Sizes for launch: 3.2 oz. pack (peg/count good) for check lane; 5 oz. DOY/Peg bag for the candy aisle.
SRP: 3.2 oz $1.79 and 5 oz $2.49
Timing: Q4 2020 available at retail and online
About Fruit-tella
Fruit-tella has a history going all the way back to 1931 when its founder, Van Melle, first introduced the sweet to the Dutch market. The “square sweet,” as it quickly became known, was available in a variety tasty, fruity flavors. Over the years, the assortment grew to include chewy and jelly sweets to make sure there was a flavor or texture to suit everyone’s fruity need. Today, Fruit-tella is sold around the world and is recognized as a family candy brand enjoyed by children and parents alike.
About Perfetti Van Melle
Perfetti Van Melle Benelux B.V. is a privately-owned global company established in March 2001 through the merger of Perfetti SpA and Van Melle B.V. Perfetti Van Melle manufactures and markets sugar confectionery and chewing gum products in more than 150 countries. Today Perfetti Van Melle is one of the world’s largest confectionery groups, marketing highly renowned brands such as Mentos, Frisk, Chupa Chups, Smint, Fruit-tella, Alpenliebe, Golia, Vivident, Airheads, Happydent & Big Babol. The Group has corporate headquarters in Italy and The Netherlands. U.S. operations are solely operated out of Erlanger, KY.
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