The “P’tite nectarines” was brought back to the French McDonald’s restaurant in July, at the start of July. 1.4 million nectarines, all sourced organically grown orchards will be available at the 1,560 locations of the chain at the at the end of August. The five-year collaboration with Peaches as well as Apricots of France, McDonald’s France and Florette Food Service has taken more than 10 years to create the partnership, which will provide the “economic and social benefit” to the 50 growers contracted to produce located in France’s Roussillon, Gard and Bouches-du-Rhone regions of France.

A fruit that is seasonal and cooked locally in southern France The wedge of nectarine that is produced from Florette Food Service is once back in McDonald’s eateries from the beginning of July until the close the month of August “coinciding perfectly with the ideal time for consumption.”

Only sourced from 50 environmentally responsible orchards located in the Roussillon, Gard and Bouches-du-Rhone regions, over 200 tonnes of fruits have been contracted to Florette Food Services’ partner producers.

In the words of Estelle Alarcon, the operations director for La Melba, the operations director of La Melba cooperative, “the cooperation among McDonald’s France, Florette France and French the production of nectarine is a fantastic way to showcase the hard work our farmers do and the investment they make in high-quality initiatives like the eco-friendly Orchards.”

The fruit is examined after receiving it in the Florette Food Service site in Torreilles in the Pyrenees-Orientales region of. When the standards agreed upon with McDonald’s France are met, the nectarines are cleaned, chopped up and packed, with no additives or preservatives, at Florette Food Services’s food workshop.

100% eco-responsible nectarines

A result of a lengthy relationship together with Peaches and Apricots of France The “P’tite nectar” provided through McDonald’s France and Florette Food Service is sourced 100% from sustainable orchards. The orchards that are selected for supply to Florette Food Service have therefore taken the following measures (among other practices) that include controlled, efficient water irrigation (drip micro-jet, micro-sprinkler and so on. ) as well as the application of biocontrol tools as well as the use of mating disruption in order to fight the Asian fruit moth in all plots, the existence of the surrounding orchard of the following ecological infrastructures, such as nesting boxes or shelters or flower strips planted in order to protect the biodiversity. Also, to achieve the goal of increasing the amount of organic matter, and thus carbon storage the wood used for pruning is crushed and placed to the earth.

Select orchards that have been certified Global Gap

“Peaches and Apricots from France is proud of the partnership it has formed together with Florette as well as McDonald’s France. In the past five years meals have included nectarines sourced from our orchards to ensure kids’ health and fun. Catalan producers and all of our company are gaining in both a social and economic sense,” explains Raphael Martinez director of Peaches and Apricots of France.

It was the “P’tite nectarine” as part of McDonald’s chewy fruit series, was introduced as part of the Happy Meal for the first time in the year 2016. The fruit is fresh, low in sugar and refreshing fruit that was broken into pieces, making it more accessible for kids to consume.

In the last two decades, more than 12 varieties of fruits were offered in the menu called Happy Meal(tm) list. The brand’s success has been with its customers, particularly children, as only a quarter of the fruits eaten by children by commercial caterers of children less than 15 consumed by children at McDonald’s (source the CREST McDonald’s France panel of consumers ).