US: Yonanas partners with Dole

Incorporating produce into one's diet is often a challenge for consumers. Nutritionists always recommend more servings of fruit, but despite the benefits, Americans find it hard to eat enough fruit. Yonanas, a device that converts fruit into an ice-cream-like treat, looks to change that.

Healthy Foods, the creators of yonanas, recently partnered with Dole to expand its product line and distribution in retail and commercial outlets.

“The collaboration with Dole, the world's largest producer and marketer of high-quality fruits and vegetables, will help Healthy Foods increase retail distribution of the yonanas treat maker as well as accelerate the development of a new line of commercial yonanas products” says Eileen McHale, co-creator of yonanas.

McHale says they will join Dole at the Fruit Logistica conference to open up international markets for their product, and introduce the benefits of eating fruit to a wider market.

The device uses frozen ripe bananas to make a treat that tastes and feels like ice-cream. But because it only uses frozen fruit, it contains significantly fewer calories than regular ice-cream.

Yonanas has so far been well-received by the produce industry as it encourages increased consumption of fruit. It was recently chosen as a finalist for the 2012 Fruit Logistica Innovation Award.

“We all want to eat healthier,” says McHale, “but we don't want to give up the things we love. This is a wonderful opportunity to increase your fruit consumption, but feel like you are being indulgent.”

For more information: www.yonanas.com