WOOLIES’ “free fruit for kids” initiative has backfired, with shoppers complaining the basket of apples and bananas is unhygienic.

The supermarket giant announced the program in November, claiming it would “help children eat their recommended two serves of fruit a day and is part of Woolworths commitment to inspire a healthier Australia.”

But customers have raised concerns that kids often have dirty hands and encouraging them to touch and eat fruit in-store could spread worms or other infectious disease.

“It’s unhygienic,” Kathy, a customer in Surry Hills, Sydney, told news.com.au. “Parents should be responsible for feeding their kids, having foods there unmonitored is a bad idea.”

On a Reddit thread on the free fruit scheme, Svedka posted, “Seriously though, that’s how you get worms”, while another user added, “Cue fruit peels left in strange places around the store, and kids with pear-juice hands touching things.”

Andrew Roberts, from New South Wales, had an even more alarming story. “My mother slipped on a piece of banana at Woollies in Mount Annan, breaking her knee in four places three days before Christmas,” he told news.com.au. “The piece of fruit was part of the kids free fruit campaign.”

The plan was derided as “cheap advertising” and an effort by beleaguered Woolies to “attract families back to their stores.” Last year was labelled a “disaster” for the chain in the face of growing competition from budget supermarket Aldi, after weak sales figures, a rewards card controversy, unpopular ad campaigns and reports of poor customer service and rundown stores.

media_camera Vitamin C heaven, or a basket of germs? Picture: irrevocablehate / Reddit

One customer said the only way to really make a difference to children’s health would be to provide free, nutritious foods in schools.

But other shoppers applauded the plan, with Alex McCowan telling news.com.au: “I don’t think it’s unhygienic. They have fruit sitting there anyway for people to buy and eat. It’s a good idea to get kids to eat more fruit. Food’s expensive, so it helps families.”

One former Woolworths employee said the initiative used up fruit that would otherwise be thrown out, adding that bowls were also available in the staff room.



Brad Banducci, Managing Director of Woolworths Food Group, said: “Free Fruit for Kids is not only a great way to encourage healthy eating habits but also an easy way to keep the little ones occupied whilst shopping.”

The scheme has been rolled out at all 961 stores after nationwide trials, with Woolies expecting to give away a million pieces of seasonal fruit a year. NSW grocery chain Harris Farm Markets has been running an initiative with the same name since 2013.

The question is whether the idea can really inspire “a healthier Australia”, or if we need to see a larger shift away from marketing cheap junk food towards making affordable, nutritious food easily accessible.

Share your view in the comments, email emma.reynolds@news.com.au or tweet @emmareyn.

Originally published as Woolies’ free fruit PR stunt backfires