PR for prunes

March 22, 2000

A rose by any other name would still smell as sweet, but what about prunes?

Prunes may be considered a nutritious snack, but they have failed to excite shoppers, who are attracted to more exotic fruits, such as mangoes, on grocery shelves.

Hoping to match the popularity of dried fruits like cranberries, cherries, and papayas, the California Prune Board is petitioning the Federal Department of Agriculture for approval to replace the word "prunes" with "dried plums" on package labels.

While the new marketing effort may not cause a run on prunes, at least the fruit's image will no longer be the pits.

Source: Grocery Manufacturers of America

(c) Copyright 2000. The Christian Science Publishing Society