05/13/05 Fruit and walnut salad big p.r.

This isn't like the limited test market, and small amount of hype, that McDonald's gave its Apple Dippers product line over a year ago. No, whether its t.v. and radio ads, billboards, magazines, or internet sites, one who uses the media can't escape the news of the restaurant chain's new Fruit and Walnut Salad. And it is that big push that really has the U.S. apple industry excited as the primary ingredient in the new offering is apples. DAVIS: McDonald's expects to move an additional 55 million pounds of apples from farm to consumer at all U.S. McDonald's restaurants. And this is very exciting for the apple industry because this is a new avenue for the industry to go into the restaurant industry with supplying apples. In fact, Wendy Davis of the U.S. Apple Association believes that if the Fruit and Walnut Salad and Apple Dippers remain hits with consumers, then other fast food restaurants will imitate McDonald's and offer their own lines of fruit related products. DAVIS: I believe that the initiation of using apples in the fast food and restaurant industry is just the beginning of opportunities to use apples and other fruits and vegetables in healthy options for consumers. Meaning more and more restaurants are moving in the direction of offering more health conscious items on menus such as apples in various product lines.