Wrigley is set to fight back against Trident's arrival in its chewing gum territory by bringing out fruit flavours under its Extra brand.

The two limited-edition lines - strawberry and watermelon - are out next month in bottle packs.

Later in the year, the company plans to axe its Extra Thin Ice breath-freshening strips and to discontinue its Airwaves Active variant.

The Extra newcomers arrive on the scene three months after the UK launch of Trident gum.

Owner Cabury threw £10m behind the brand and, despite being forced to pull TV ads criticised for stereotyping Caribbean culture, Trident has secured a substantial market share. It claims 15% to date, although a Wrigley spokesman said that had dropped slightly in the last four weeks.

Trident's early success has been a wake-up call to Wrigley, which, for decades, has usually had a share of about 98% in the UK gum market. It has hit back with the launch of Extra Ice with a Liquid Burst last month and signed up its Extra brand to be the official chewing gum of the football Premier League.

Alex MacHutchon, communications manager, said fruit flavours were "an integral part of Wrigley's portfolio" and followed on from adding Strappleberry and Blulemberry to the Juicy Fruit range.

She said delisting Extra Thin Ice and Airwaves Active was part of an on-going review to remove slower-performing lines. "We are always striving to have the right products available for consumers and retailers," she added.

Extra Thin Ice peppermint-flavoured strips, which dissolve on the tongue, were launched here four years ago, backed by a £5m spend. The brand notched up sales of about £14m in its first 12 months, but without support from TV advertising, the concept's impact was limited.

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