Kiwifruit has become popular in 75 Edinburgh primary schools as part of the local-education-department funded Snack Attack programme, which has been running in the city for two years. Under the scheme, children entitled to free meals qualify for two pieces of free fruit a week and others can buy fruit at a subsidised price of 10p.

But now, say organisers, many schools are less willing to take kiwifruit as Zespri's supplies of spoons has dwindled for the season.

'We have been really pleased by how popular kiwifruit has become with our young consumers,' said Marjorie Shepherd of the Edinburgh Community Food Initiative, which organises the programme for the city council. 'This is due largely to the fact that we were able to provide kiwi spoons to make eating them a lot easier, as well as a bit of a novelty children love accessories!' Lorraine Kirby, Zespri's UK manager told the Journal that more spoons are on their way. 'We are having them produced in April and will be sending them to Edinburgh as soon as we get them.' In the meantime, if anyone has any kiwifruit spoons to help the young consumers tuck into the northern-hemisphere crop, please e-mail editorial@fpj.co.uk.

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