Byline: ruki sayid
OUR biggest grocer has turned to its US arm for inspiration and is launching a range of healthy option grub for children after the Goodness range went down a storm across the Pond.
launched last year at its Fresh & easy stores in the US, the ready meals and lunchbox treats have arrived in the UK as the chain cashes in on the idea.
It's the first label to be imported from the Stateside business which Tesco is aiming to turn a profit on by the end of 2013.
and it plans to take on asda's Great Stuff range in the children's food market, which is worth billions of pounds.
and rival Sainsbury's is aiming to launch its range of food for youngsters under the eric the elephant label later this year as the supermarkets square up for another food fight.
Great Stuff has 63 products from fresh and dried fruit to ready meals, drinks and yoghurts and Tesco is planning to bite into its hold on the primary school market with more than 70 items in the Goodness range.
First on the shelves is its Cottage Pie (280g) for pounds 2 compared with Great Stuff Cottage Pie (300g) for pounds 1.48 and Four Creamy Yoghurts for pounds 1 while a four-pack Great Stuff Strawberry Yoghurts cost 88p.
More lines from pasta dishes and smoothies to cakes and raisins will start appearing on shelves over the summer with the full range up and running by the end of the school holidays.
With all products tested by an expert panel of children and tastes tweaked for the young British palate, Tesco is confident it has a recipe for success.
Sarah Bradbury, Tesco food marketing director, says: "Fresh & easy customers really like the Goodness range.
"So we were keen to share it with our British shoppers.
"The products are ideal for those busy days when parents want convenient, yet healthy, prepared meals and snacks that their children will enjoy."
Many of the meals have hidden veg to contribute towards the five-a-day portions of fruit and veg, pasta shapes have oat and wheat for extra fibre and even the Goodness Mini Jam Doughnuts are baked, not fried.
The move into healthy option snacks for the under-eights comes as the food industry has been heavily criticised for using online games and popular social media sites to target children on sugary snacks and drinks.
a key report from the International association for the Study of Obesity claimed firms like Haribo and Nestle were using the internet to push sweets and drinks.
McDonald's came under fire for using spin-off toys from the Kung Fu Panda 2 movie to promote Happy Meals while the packaging of Kellogg's Krave chocolate cereal was said to be more appealing to children than adults.
Our Slamming the use of websites to promote junk food, report author Dr Tim lobstein said: "Firms are now using new technologies to encourage children to market to each other and bypass any parental controls.
"The consequences are very low standards of control and continued exposure of children to powerful inducements to eat junk food.
"The food industry is competitive and a company will always put its own interests first."
He added that the industry's attempt to police itself over junk food promotions was "chaotic".
a spokesman for the Incorporated Society of British advertisers, which represents food advertising, defended the industry and said it had reduced marketing to children.
Obesity is at an all-time high with a quarter of Britain's four to five-year-olds overweight or obese, along with more than a third of 10 to 11-year-olds.
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RANGE Z Tesco's Goodness meals
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