Jamba, Inc. today announced continued progress in their brand expansion plans, as its wholly owned subsidiary, Jamba Juice Co., has entered into a licensing agreement with The Inventure Group to develop a line of a blend-and-serve, frozen fruit smoothie kits for retail grocery distribution. The agreement builds upon the existing licensing agreements signed with Nestlé in 2007 and Think Wow Toys and Oregon Ice Cream in 2009, to create health and wellness-oriented, Jamba-branded retail products.

"The make-at-home smoothie is an emerging category and represents perhaps the most literal extension of the Jamba brand to date," said Susan Shields, Vice President, Consumer Products and Licensing, Jamba Juice Company. "We want to serve the healthy habits of our consumers wherever they live and shop, and as we looked to extend the brand into this new area of opportunity, we needed a partner that understood the extraordinary quality that has made Jamba a leading name in smoothies.

We're certain that teaming with The Inventure Group will provide our customers with the same great tasting and healthy-fun Jamba smoothie experience at home that they've come to expect in our stores."

The blend-and-serve smoothie kits are expected to launch in the U.S. during the first quarter of 2010 and will include a variety of fresh-frozen, whole fruit pieces, including raspberries and blueberries, from Washington-based Rader Farms, an Inventure Group company. The products will feature Jamba's signature recipes, and they will be the first smoothie kits in themarketplace to include vitamin and mineral boosts.

The Inventure Group supplies frozen fruit to some of the nation's largest grocery retailers and makes branded and private-label snackfoods as well as frozen fruit under the Rader Farms brand.

SOURCE: Jamba, Inc.