New Zealand single-desk kiwifruit market Zespri has partnered with McDonald's in Mexico to supply a the SunGold variety in kids' Happy Meals from this weekend for the rest of June. 

A whole piece of the relatively new variety will be included in the Happy Meal boxes in more than 400 McDonald's branches, and will be supplied with a 'splife', a combination of a spoon and knife, to cut and scoop out the fruit.

Although Zespri sells fruit in 54 countries, this kind of partnership is a world first for the company and is expected to result in sales of more than one million pieces of the sweet-tasting SunGold kiwifruit.

Speaking to www.freshfruitportal.com, Zespri general manager for marketing Carol Ward said she was 'very excited' about the deal.

"Mexico and McDonald's have a strong emphasis on incorporating healthy eating options," Ward said.

The representative added that this was the second year SunGold was available in Mexico, and she hoped the deal with the fast food giant would help Zespri to boost its growth opportunities in the market.

"What this is really about is introducing the Mexican family to SunGold, a fruit that is tasty, healthy, and high in calcium and vitamin C. The kids will love it and the parents will see it as a great healthy addition to their diet," Ward said.

"This is part of a broader strategy to introduce our new premium product and its powerful health benefits to new markets around the world."

The new addition to McDonald's Happy Meal boxes will be advertised on the chain's TV channel in its restaurants, and training on Zespri and SunGold will be given to the company's 8000 staff.

McDonald's Mexico director of corporate communication, Félix Ramírez, said the chain's commitment to innovation and quality lead it to search out the best products for all its consumers.

“McDonald’s in Mexico is searching for suppliers that are governed by and adopt our high standards of hygiene and quality; for us, the fact that we are incorporating products such as kiwifruit into our range of options is synonymous with evolution and our commitment to Mexican society,” says Felix.

Asked what she made of the market competition with supply from other countries like Chile, Ward said she was 'confident Zespri's position in the market' as distributor of a premium kiwifruit.

"We’ve positioned Zespri Kiwifruit from New Zealand very firmly on high quality and taste, and we have strict orchard criteria so it’s harvested at the right time so that it ripens with a good taste," she said.

"We think that in Mexico people will appreciate that and recognize that it’s worth paying to get the quality and the taste."

At the world level, almost one billion pieces of Zespri SunGold are anticipated to be sold this season.

www.freshfruitportal.com