HEALTHY BEVERAGES TARGET KIDS 2004-10-25 (1)

MATTHEW ENIS

WASHINGTON -- In an appeal to both kids and their parents, organic and natural food companies are launching several new, single-serve, multi-pack products with colorful, kid-friendly packaging.

Households with children are among the fastest-growing demographic groups for the organics industry, said Carmelle Druchniak, Stonyfield Farms' senior communications manager, at the Natural Products Expo East show here. Such households are eager to shield their kids from the perceived danger of pesticides and antibiotics. Stonyfield Farms has launched two new lines of organic juice and yogurt smoothies: a "Yo Baby" line of 6-ounce four-packs designed for babies and toddlers, and a line of four-packs targeted at children.

Similarly, Horizon Organic Dairy in August rolled out its own line of 6-ounce organic smoothie four-packs. In July, it launched a line of organic apple, grape and fruit punch multipack juice boxes.

Representatives from Stonyfield Farms and Horizon Organic Dairy said the products were most widely available in the natural foods channel.

Consumers are never too young to develop a taste for soymilk, especially if parents already drink it. White Wave is hoping to make the lunchbox set early adopters of the company's Silk Soymilk brand, with a line of 6.5-ounce eight-packs available in chocolate, vanilla and strawberry flavors, all featuring cartoon parrots, elephants and sea otters. In an effort to compete with traditional lunchbox stalwarts, product packaging highlights the different flavors are between 26% and 56% lower in sugar than apple juice. The products just began rollout to distributors in the natural foods channel this month, according to company officials.

Finally, Hansen's Natural has announced a reformulation of its "Juice Slam" line of juice boxes. Darlene Barrett, the company's vice president of sales, said 17 vitamins and minerals -- the equivalent of one children's multivitamin -- have been added to the 100% juice products, and the products are now available in "one-per-school-day" five-packs.