VANCOUVER, B.C. – Step aside, Cookie Monster. According to Oppy’s newest philosophy, brighter is better and fresher is sweeter.

The company is pitching new packaging and new producers in association with PMA’s eat brighter! campaign, directed towards getting children to eat healthier with Sesame Street characters assigned to each berry.

“With their intense color, berries lend themselves perfectly to the eat brighter! concept,” Jason Fung, Director of Category Development for Oppy, said.

The company is offering blackberry clamshells featuring Ernie, raspberries with Cookie Monster, blueberries with a fuzzy Grover, and plump sweet Elmo on the label for strawberries.

Currently, Oppy is sourcing berries from Florida, Mexico, and, as of last year, California.

“Last year we shipped California strawberries for the first time, testing the waters and assuring we could create a program that accommodated our customers’ needs,” said Fung. “We have built on that ‘year one’ effort through relationships with growers in Coachella, Oxnard and Salinas, so now we can serve more of our customers with larger organic and conventional California strawberry programs.”

Fung continued, “Berries have become a very important facet of the produce department, delivering a high dollar share to the bottom line. Because they are such a critical part of the mix, the quality and consistency has to be there 365 days a year.”

Beginning in December 2014 with plans to last through September, Oppy has forged partnerships with high-quality berry producers as they continue to grow. This will enable the company to deliver berries throughout the year while offering parents a continuous option for children outside of conventional sweets.

Oppy