An Italian organization recently finished a successful pilot scheme aimed at boosting fresh produce consumption amongst children, selling apples with edible and attachable wafers depicting funny faces. 

The idea was brought to the Val di Non-based Melinda Consortium by one of its collaborators in the pastry industry who wanted to test a new concept.

The project was called MelaRido - a play on the Italian words mela, meaning apple, and rido, I am laughing.

Melinda's project specialist Daniel Turri told www.freshfruitportal.com the Golden Delicious variety was used in the project as it made up around three-quarters of the company's production and was popular in Italy, where consumer palates are more orientated to sweeter tastes.

During the trial the fruit was sold with 48 potato flour-based wafers depicting various parts of cartoon faces, which could be attached to the apple with water or by licking them.

The apples then instantly transform into a funny face, so children can play with the fruit before eating it.

The pilot scheme took place in the Ali supermarket chain and lasted a little more than two months, concluding in June.

Turri said the commercial results had been hugely positive.

"It was a real surprise, the sales volumes of those apples increased by 20% over the course of the scheme," he said.

He said the company had plans to continue the project later this year with larger volumes, but was as yet unsure which retailers it might involve.

"We’re going to try to make it bigger, but we don’t know with whom yet. The test phase has just finished, so we’re still in the process of thinking of what to do." Turri said.

MelaRido could also become a permanent product for Melinda, Turri said, or just be rolled out during festival periods.

Turri added expansion to markets outside of Italy was also a possibility.

While Melinda is principally focused on apple, last season it started selling cherries, berries and other small fruits, but in relatively lower quantities.

www.freshfruitportal.com