Vimto Soft Drinks is targeting the healthy drinks market with a "guilt-free" range of dessert drinks and 70% fruit additions to its existing Panda Juice range.

Its new Yum dessert drinks are targeted 18 to 40-year-old, weight-conscious women and are positioned as pudding substitutes promising fewer than 20 calories each.

They have a retail price of 99p and come in six flavours, including lemon cheesecake and banoffee pie and will be introduced next month at selected high-street retailers for 12 weeks before being listed nationally.

They will then be rolled out in 12-packs across other distribution channels.

"This is a fun and exciting product we know consumers will love," said brand manager Bhavika Mistry. "The concept of healthy indulgence has been successfully developed in other categories of the market but is underdeveloped within soft drinks."

While Yum's low-calorie credentials may appeal to slimmers, the new Panda Juice range is aimed at parents who are concerned about their kids' health.

The first two flavours - in apple, strawberry and banana and orange, lemon and lime - will be available in 250ml cartons from June.

They have no added sugar, sweeteners, colours or preservatives and an on-pack flash flags up their claims to provide one of the five-a-day recommended portions of fruit and vegetables.

Brand manager Claire Witt said the move was a natural step for the brand and the new line met School Food Guidelines. "We aim to be recognised by mums and retailers as associated with healthier lifestyles for kids," she added.

Single prism cartons will be available initially at a retail price of 55p in foodservice and cash & carry outlets, with multipacks for the multiple supermarkets following shortly afterwards.

Vimto also plans to bring out 320ml ready-to-drink bottles of its Belgravia and Tobago premium cordials next month and is set to revive its eponymous brand's 'Dad's pants' advert this summer.

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