Innocent Drinks has partnered with Co-op to help donate a portion of fruit and vegetables for every smoothie bought in stores.

Until 19 November, the drinks company will donate the cost of a portion of fruit and veg (24p) to the Alexandra Rose Charity for every ‘Mango & Passionfruit’ and ‘Strawberry & Banana’ smoothie sold in the convenience retailers stores.

It comes as government statistics found that just one third of adults and 12% of 11 to 18-year-olds manage to get the recommended ‘five a day’.

This is even starker for lower-income families, with the most deprived fifth of adults consuming 37% less fruit and veg than the least deprived, and their children 29%.

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The partnership will see a total of 520,000 portions of fruit and veg donated by the end of the year through the charity’s Rose Vouchers – which are given out each week to families, helping them to afford fresh produce from local markets – for the Fruit & Veg Project.

Innocent Drinks general manager UK and Ireland John Taylor said: “At Innocent, we’re on a mission to help make sure everyone can access the delicious goodness of fruit and veg – it’s why our drinks are crammed full of the stuff. Eating a wide variety of fruit and vegetables is key to a healthy and nutritious diet, but we know that lots of us aren’t getting enough of it.

“Lower-income families face significant barriers to ensuring they can give their children the nutrition they need. Our partnership with Alexandra Rose Charity, and campaign with Co-op marks an ongoing commitment to helping improve access for everyone so they can unlock the health benefits of a balanced diet.”

Co-op commercial director Sinead Bell added: “Supporting campaigns that address the issue of food poverty and access to food is important to us and the millions of Co-op member owners, and we are proud to be partnering with Innocent on this fantastic initiative across our stores.”