The genesis of Fizzy Fruit's success arguably comes from Genesis, in which we learn that fruit is one temptation from which mankind simply cannot abstain. For kids, however, fruit holds less allure--but soda is a Godsend. Thus, the makers of Fizzy Fruit, which is on school lunch menus in 20 Connecticut school districts, have combined the fizziness of soda with the fruitiness of fruit and students cannot get enough of the stuff. Fizzy Fruit is created when carbonation is pumped, via mechanisms called "Fruit Fizzolators," into apples, grapes, etc., all of which retain their original nutritional content. (Bananas, however, lack sufficient water content, and therefore cannot be fizzolated.) Kids and district leaders love the new, healthy snack, but others see Fizzy Fruit as a pernicious gateway drug for youngsters. Parent Holly Fydenkevez said, "They'll try a piece of the orange and think, 'Oh, now I know how orange soda tastes.' And then you've turned a kid on to soda when he never knew soda before." She might be right. After seven-year-old Axel Ortiz was refused by a cafeteria worker his fourth serving of Fizzy Fruit, he said he needed it because "it tastes like soda." Oritz told the worker, "I'll pay you. How much?"
"Carbonated Fruit a Hit in School," by Lynn Doan, The Hartford Courant, May 19, 2008
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Connecticut