Delhaize Junk Fruit blueberries

Belgian retailer Delhaize has announced the launch of Junk Fruit, a new range of fresh-cut and packaged fruit snacks designed to encourage consumers to eat more fruit.

With only 9 per cent of Belgians meeting the recommended daily intake of 250g-375g of fruit, Delhaize believes the new range will help steer consumers away from junk food and toward Junk Fruit.

The range follows multiple efforts by the retailer to promote a more balanced diet, including its Magical Vegetables campaign, which sought to correct the notion that vegetables aren’t tasty, especially among children.

As a result of the action, sales of the vegetables concerned more than doubled, according to Delhaize.

However, fruits generally have a different reputation, being more recognised for taste than convenience. Delhaize sees Junk Fruit as one solution, a range of fruit snacks easily consumed in front of the TV, in the car or at the desk.

“For two weeks from 16 August, customers will be able to find these snacks in the fruit and vegetables section of all Delhaize supermarkets,” the retailer stated.

The range will be available under a ‘buy one, get one half price’ promotion, as will all the retailer’s fresh-cut fruits.

The range includes seedless grapes, blueberries, kiwifruit, apples, bananas, raspberries, blackberries, mixed berries, currants and red plums.

“As part of the launch, Delhaize is partnering with Waze, a mobile GPS navigation app which uses a map that can be modified by its users, based on the principle of web 2.0,” the retailer revealed in a statement. “Navigation is done in real time and takes the state of the traffic into account. The idea is that when the user is stuck in a traffic jam near a Delhaize store, the app will provide directions so they can get a fruity snack while waiting.”