Tropicana Donates Up To A Quarter Million Fruit Servings Of Orange Juice to USDA's Summer and School Food Service Program For Kids and Encourages Americans to Increase Fruit Consumption

CHICAGO, June 16 /PRNewswire/ -- Seven out of ten American adults are not getting enough fruit in their daily diets, despite the USDA Dietary Guidelines recommendation to consume four servings, or two cups, of fruit a day as part of an overall healthy diet (based on an average 2,000-calorie diet).(1) Americans have long struggled to meet this goal as fruit consumption has remained stagnant since the 1980s.(1) For those who do manage to get some fruit in their diet, 100 percent orange juice represents one of the main sources of fruit,(2) as one nutrient-dense, eight-ounce glass of orange juice delivers two fruit servings.(3) To help narrow the fruit gap for kids in need and encourage Americans to increase their fruit consumption, Tropicana Products, Inc., a division of PepsiCo, Inc. (NYSE: PEP), is rallying people to "Get Your Fruit On!" with Tropicana Pure Premium orange juice starting in June: National Fruit and Vegetable Month.

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"The goal of our 'Get Your Fruit On!' campaign is to help Americans, and especially kids in need of good nutrition, get on the right path to realizing the nutritional benefits of fruit and fruit juice," said Andy Horrow, chief marketing officer for Tropicana. "Surprisingly, we've learned a majority of orange juice drinkers are unaware that 100 percent orange juice contributes to their daily fruit intake. A glass of Tropicana Pure Premium orange juice at breakfast is one great-tasting and convenient way to get a jump start on your fruit goals."

Support for the USDA's Program for Kids

Most children consume an average of half or less of the Food Guide Pyramid recommended fruit servings, according to a 2006 study in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association.(4) That's why Tropicana's "Get Your Fruit On!" campaign is donating up to a quarter million fruit servings of Tropicana Pure Premium 100 percent orange juice to the USDA, starting with its national Summer Food Service Program for kids and continuing on with its School Breakfast Program.(5) The Summer Food Service Program provides free, nutritious meals and snacks at central sites, such as schools, community centers and camps, to help children in low-income areas learn, play and grow during the summer months. The program serves nearly 2 million children at almost 31,000 sites across the country.

"The Summer Food Service Program provides nutritious meals and snacks during the summer break," said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. "Partnerships at all levels are critical to ensure there are enough sponsors throughout the country to provide healthy meals."

Take the "Get Your Fruit On!" Pledge

Following a donation to the USDA Summer Food Service Program, the first 5,000 people who visit Tropicana.com and pledge to "Get Their Fruit On!" -- a commitment to increase their fruit intake -- will receive a coupon for a free 64-ounce carton of Tropicana Pure Premium to get started on their fruit goals. For each of these 5,000 pledges, Tropicana will contribute 16 fruit servings of orange juice to the USDA School Breakfast Program in the continuing effort to get more fruits in children's diets at the start of each day. The USDA School Breakfast Program offers free or reduced price breakfasts to children in low-income areas, and is administered through agreements with local school food authorities in more than 85,000 schools and institutions.

Boost Your Fruit, Boost Your Nutrients

"Starting the morning with 100 percent orange juice can give you a jumpstart on your day's fruit goals," says Elizabeth Ward, registered dietitian, mother of three, and author of The Pocket Idiot's Guide to the New Food Pyramids. "Each eight-ounce glass provides two fruit servings,(3) plus it is an excellent source of vitamin C as well as a good source of important nutrients like folic acid and potassium."

To view Ward's additional tips and ideas for how to "get your fruit on," visit Tropicana.com.

About Tropicana Products, Inc.

Tropicana Products, Inc., a division of PepsiCo, Inc., is the leading producer and marketer of branded fruit juices. Tropicana markets its products in the U.S. under a variety of brand names, including the Tropicana not-from-concentrate line of juices: Dole(R) juices and juice blends; Tropicana Pure 100 percent Juice Blends; Tropicana(R) Juices and Pure Tropics(R) juices; and Tropicana Twister(R) juice beverages. The Dole brand name is licensed from Dole Food Company, Inc. For more information about Tropicana, visit Tropicana.com.

About PepsiCo

PepsiCo (NYSE: PEP) is one of the world's largest food and beverage companies, with 2007 annual revenues of more than $39 billion. The Company employs approximately 185,000 people worldwide, and its products are sold in approximately 200 countries. Its principal businesses include: Frito-Lay snacks, Pepsi-Cola beverages, Gatorade sports drinks, Tropicana juices and Quaker foods. The PepsiCo portfolio includes 18 brands that generate $1 billion or more each in annual retail sales. PepsiCo's commitment to sustainable growth, defined as Performance with Purpose, is focused on generating healthy financial returns while giving back to communities the Company serves.

This includes meeting consumer needs for a spectrum of convenient foods and beverages, reducing the Company's impact on the environment through water, energy and packaging initiatives, and supporting its employees through a diverse and inclusive culture that recruits and retains world-class talent. As a member of the DowJones Sustainability World Index (DJSI World) and the Dow Jones Sustainability North America Index (DJSI North America), PepsiCo is a recognized leader in sustainability. For more information, please visit www.pepsico.com.

    (1)  Casagrande, S.S., Wang, Y., Anderson, C., & Gary, T. (2007,
         March 19).  Have Americans Increased Their Fruit and Vegetable
         Intake?. Am J Prev Med 2007;32 (4):257-263
    (2)  Wilson, Ted, and Temple, Norman J. Beverages in Nutrition and
         Health. Humana Press, 2004: 79.
    (3)  An 8oz glass of orange juice = 2 servings / 1 cup of fruit according
         to the USDA Dietary Guidelines, helping to satisfy half the
         recommended servings for fruit based on a 2,000-calorie reference
         diet. USDA 2005 Dietary Guidelines recommend a majority of your
         fruit servings come from whole fruit.
    (4)  Guenther PM, Dodd KW, Reedy J, Krebs-Smith SM. Most Americans eat
         much less than recommended amounts of fruits and vegetables.  J Am
         Diet Assoc. 2006; 106:1371-1379.
    (5)  Tropicana will donate up to 170,000 fruit servings of orange juice
         to the USDA Summer Food Service Program, and up to 80,000 fruit
         servings of orange juice to the USDA School Breakfast Program, based
         on the number of pledges reached.

SOURCE Tropicana Products, Inc.

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