You Won't Have Prunes To Kick Around Anymore
PLEASANTON, CA, Jun 20, 2000 (INTERNET WIRE via COMTEX) -- The Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) granted the California Prune Board (CPB) permission to use
"dried plums" as an alternative name to "prunes."
The CPB requested the name change after research showed that the name "dried
plum" offers a more positive connotation than "prune" and would encourage more
people to try the fruit. The CPB hopes the name change will attract its target
audience, women 35 to 50. This group of 44 million people makes up approximately
16 percent of the U.S. population and makes the majority of household purchase
decisions.
California prunes aren't the only commodity product to change its name. The
wildly popular kiwifruit was previously called a Chinese gooseberry. California
prune growers are hoping for some of the same excitement surrounding their
product.
"People have told us that dried plums evoke a more positive 'fresh fruit
goodness' image. They've said they're more likely to eat dried plums than
prunes," said CPB Executive Director Richard L. Peterson.
California Senators Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein supported the name change
and wrote a letter to the FDA to encourage the transition.
"It's important, I think, for our economy that we sell our produce here and
abroad and that we give our people every chance that we can to sell the most
that they can. And clearly, if you call a dried plum a dried plum instead of
calling it a prune, it sells better. So I'm all for that. I think we're talking
about jobs, we're talking about all kinds of good things that can happen once we
can sell this product as a dried plum," said Boxer.
Under the new ruling, prune packers will be required to change the product's
name in two phases. In the first phase, both names (dried plums and prunes) will
appear on packaging for two years. In addition, an industry-wide consumer
education program will be conducted to minimize confusion among consumers. The
second phase will complete the transition to dried plums as the only name on
packaging.
California produces 99 percent of all the prunes grown in the United States and
70 percent of the world's supply. The California Prune Board represents the
industry's 1,250 growers and 22 packers of California prunes. Its primary
function is to promote prunes worldwide through advertising, public relations,
sales promotion and education programs to encourage increased consumption of the
fruit. The $10 million plus program is totally funded by the growers and
handlers through crop assessments.
CONTACT: Peggy Castaldi
CALIFORNIA PRUNE BOARD
925-734-0150
Gina Lipparelli
KETCHUM
415-984-6146
Amber Vierra
KETCHUM
415-984-2228
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