Chiquita Introduces Delicious (and good for you) Blend & Serve Fruit Smoothies

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., April 15 /PRNewswire/ -- U.S. consumers have fallen in love with fresh fruit smoothies and Chiquita is making at home preparation a snap with an affordable, blend-and-serve smoothie made with all-natural ingredients. Chiquita Frozen Fruit Smoothie concentrates are available in four flavors - Strawberry Banana, Banana Colada, Peach Mango and Mixed Berry and are available in grocery stores nationwide with a suggested retail price of $2.69 per can, or less than a dollar per serving.

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Chiquita Frozen Fruit Smoothie concentrates contain no artificial sweeteners, coloring or preservatives, and are gluten and dairy free. Each smoothie serving contains at least 1/2 cup of fruit and 100 percent of the recommended daily value of Vitamin C.

The product comes in a recyclable 12-ounce plastic container and can be found in the frozen section of grocery stores. Each can produces three, eight-ounce servings when blended with ice and water. It's an ideal choice for consumers who want the great taste of a smoothie but seek an affordable option for convenient at-home preparation.

"Until now, consumers craving a fresh fruit smoothie had to visit a smoothie bar or purchase multiple ingredients to make one at home," said Judy Chen, group leader of marketing and business development at Chiquita Brands International. "Chiquita Frozen Fruit Smoothies are made with Chiquita bananas and real fruit to deliver a delicious and refreshing smoothie experience at a great value."

Chiquita has partnered with leading frozen fruit juice manufacturer, Old Orchard Brands, to develop the product that both companies believe will resonate with today's health-conscious and budget-minded consumer.

"At retail storefronts the average cost of a smoothie is between three and four dollars each," said Mark Saur, president of Old Orchard Brands. "An eight-ounce serving of Chiquita Frozen Fruit Smoothie is well under a dollar and provides a full serving of fruit, so it's a great way for consumers to integrate fruit to their diets."

About Old Orchard Brands

Sparta, Michigan based Old Orchard Brands is one of the fastest-growing fruit juice brands in the United States. Established in 1985, the company offers consumers 35 frozen concentrate flavors and 65 bottled varieties in a range of 100 percent fruit juices and blends, premium and organic juices, fruit juice cocktails, low-sugar fruit juice cocktails, and juice-infused teas. Old Orchard Brands currently produces more than 80 million 64-ounce bottles of fruit juice and 45 million 12-ounce canisters of frozen juice concentrates each year. The company is known for its innovative and value-added products that target the needs of today's health conscious consumers. Old Orchard Brands is an Allied Capital company. For more about Old Orchard, visit www.oldorchardjuice.com.

About Chiquita Brands International

Chiquita Brands International, Inc. is a leading international marketer and distributor of high-quality fresh and value-added food products - from energy-rich bananas and other fruits to nutritious blends of convenient green salads. The company markets its healthy, fresh products under the Chiquita(R) and Fresh Express(R) premium brands and other related trademarks. With annual revenues of nearly $4 billion, Chiquita employs approximately 23,000 people and has operations in more than 80 countries worldwide. For more information, please visit www.chiquita.com.

SOURCE Old Orchard Brands

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http://www.oldorchardjuice.com/