Suppliers are hoping to transform pouched fruit purée - a staple of the babyfood market - into an adult snack.

This month, US company Next Generation launched the Smooch brand of fruit purées in America and it is bringing it to the UK in September.

The products are fortified with chia and acerola berries, and will come in raspberry & peach, pineapple & banana, and blueberry & banana (rsp: £1.49 for a single-serve resealable pouch).

Fruit purées were already an established market in the US, said a spokesman for Next Generation. “Fruit purées are associated with the baby and infant market in the UK but this is a grown-up product that will appeal to adults seeking a healthy snack.”

Another US pouch brand, Buddy Fruits, made its UK debut late last year and is now available at David Lloyd leisure venues and through vending operators. UK distributor 10 Degrees C said the brand was worth $50m in the US and was widely available in American supermarkets.

“We expect to follow the same path here as we did in the US - specialist retailers before moving into grocery,” said MD David Relph.

Pouches had gained traction in Western markets with yoghurt brands aimed at adults, said Mintel analyst Chris Brockman, while they were used in Asia for foods such as fruit and ice cream.

The format had downsides, including a lack of recyclability, he warned. “But by far the biggest issue to address is a perception one. Such packs are associated with babyfood, and an adult sucking puréed food from a pouch in public is not commonly accepted, and won’t be for some time.”

Claire Nuttall of Thrive added: “It will be interesting to see if this barrier can be overcome by the brand’s convenience and naturalness.”

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