Tropicana Tropolis fruit snacks debut in colorful squeezable pouch

Tropicana Products Inc., a division of PepsiCo Inc., is testing a new portable kids snack called Tropicana Tropolis—a smooth blend of real squeezable fruit, packed with nutrition, designed for kids. America's iconic juice brand for more than 50 years, Tropicana created this innovative new food line to help moms squeeze the goodness of fruit into kids' daily diets by making fruit fun.

Tropicana enlisted the help of kids to identify the flavors they like most, resulting in the sweet and sour Tropicana Tropolis varieties: CherryWorld, GrapeWorld and AppleWorld. The colorful pouch shows kids a glimpse of a whole new Tropicana Tropolis World, while an online universe will allow them to discover the fun in fruit through interactive games. The package is designed to fit in lunchboxes and small hands for a fun-to-squeeze experience, while the top easily tears off to make eating independently a breeze for kids on-the-go.

With challenges in mind that moms and kids face when it comes to consuming enough fruits and vegetables, Tropicana worked with moms, kids and health experts including dietitians and pediatricians to develop this healthy, delicious, lunchbox and grab-and-go snack. Price, availability and convenience are the three main barriers for moms when it comes to squeezing fruits and vegetables into everyday routines, leaving Americans, including children, short on the five to 13 fruit and vegetable servings recommended for everyday consumption.

The brand believes the fruit goodness, nutrition and portion size of Tropicana Tropolis will have mom appeal. It boasts a smooth blend of real squeezable fruit, is a good source of fiber, and offers 100 percent of the recommended daily value of vitamin C, with no added sugars, artificial sweeteners or high fructose corn syrup; and no artificial flavors, colors or preservatives. Tropicana Tropolis aims to deliver a fun fruit experience in a convenient and affordable way. 

"Moms have fond memories of Tropicana from their own childhoods, and our hope is that this new nutritious snack will give them yet another way to give their children fruit goodness," says Memo Maquivar, Tropicana vp of marketing. "For kids, we want Tropicana Tropolis to be all about making fruit fun and being drawn into ‘a world of good'."

The Tropicana Tropolis introduction is the latest addition to the expanding "Good for You" product portfolio from PepsiCo. As a corporation, PepsiCo is dedicated to encouraging people to live healthier lives by addressing consumers' needs for wholesome, great-tasting and authentically nutritious products. Tropicana Tropolis comes on the heels of Tropicana's successful 2009 debut of Trop50, a line of nutritious juice drinks with 50 percent less sugar and calories, and no artificial sweeteners.

Tropicana Tropolis will be available in select stores in limited markets beginning late January 2011. If successful, expanded distribution is expected in 2012.

Source: Tropicana Products Inc., a division of PepsiCo Inc.