McDonald’s to roll out own fruit smoothies

The fast-food chain has been trialling the two fruit smoothies at a number of restaurants in Wales for several months and offered them at its Olympic Park restaurants. If the trial is successful the range is likely to roll out nationwide.

Innocent smoothies, first introduced in 2007, were dropped earlier this year.

McDonald’s targeted children with Innocent smoothies as part of its Happy Meal offer, but its own fruit smoothies are aimed at adults.

It recently introduced Fruitizz, a fizzy fruit juice aimed at children that includes one of the recommended five fruit and vegetables a day as part of its efforts to offer healthier choices in Happy Meals.

A McDonald’s spokesperson says: “From speaking to our customers we knew that while parents appreciated the nutritional benefit of fruit smoothies for kids, they were widely considered a standalone snack or treat rather than a meal accompaniment. Fruitizz offers kids a light and refreshing fruit juice alternative while still delivering one of their 5-a-day, no added sugars and no artificial colours or flavours.”

The fruit smoothies are currently sold in McDonald’s McCafe restaurants in the US, Australia and Canada and contributed to a major sales boost when they were introduced.