Robinsons Fruit Shoot gets health makeover

Children’s juice drink Robinsons Fruit Shoot is to be given a health makeover in time for summer 2006.

Though the successful lunchbox soft drinks range already has “no added sugar” flavours available, owner Britvic is to reformulate the product to reduce the additives and preservatives.

An insider says the plans are to bring Fruit Shoot further into line with consumer concerns over health.

Robinsons Fruit Shoot, launched in 2000, dominates the lunchbox market after taking the top spot in the sector from Ribena last year. Fruit Shoot’s value for the year ending in April was &£68.5m, up 5.7 per cent on the previous year (Mintel).

Britvic is also doing preliminary work on new healthier variants for its J2O juice drink. Two new flavours with no added sugar are being considered, but the insider says there are no definite plans to put the flavours on shelves. If launched, it is likely the two variants would initially be limited editions, while Britvic tests demand for a low-sugar version of the drink.

Meanwhile, in October, the Apple & Raspberry flavour J2O, currently a limited-edition flavour, will become a permanent mainstay within the core range, making a total of five flavours alongside Apple & Mango.