Some beverage companies say they are on board to move forward with changes, recommended last week by the American Beverage Association, to restrict the sale of soda in school vending machines.
Pepsi-Cola North America, the $4 billion beverage unit of PepsiCo, Inc. in the U.S. and Canada, voiced its support.
“Parents tell us they’d like help in determining what products are sold in schools, we’re listening,” said Dawn Hudson, president and CEO, Pepsi-Cola North America, in a statement. “We’ve been working diligently to introduce new, healthier offerings that give schools a broader selection of better-for-you options than ever before.”
Cadbury Schweppes Americas Beverages President and CEO said in a statement, “This policy marks a real change in the way beverage companies will partner with schools. We are taking an important step forward in working with parents, community leaders and school officials as we collectively focus on healthier lifestyles for children.”
The ABA encouraged school districts and bottlers to begin the new voluntary policy immediately for new contracts and no later than the expiration of existing contracts.
The new school vending policy aims to provide lower-calorie and/or nutritious beverages and to limit the availability of soft drinks in schools.
Under the new policy, the beverage industry will provide:
- Elementary schools with only water and 100% juice
- Middle schools with only nutritious and/or lower calorie beverages, such as water, 100% juice, sports drinks, no-calorie soft drinks and low-calorie juice drinks. No full-calorie soft drinks or full-calorie juice drinks with 5% or less juice until after school; and
- High schools with a variety of beverage choices, such as bottled water, 100% juice, sports drinks and juice drinks. No more than 50% of the vending selections will be soft drinks.
The policy does not supercede existing federal, state and local regulations. The decision to implement the new policy was approved unanimously by the ABA board. Board members represents 20 companies that make up about 85% of school vending beverage sales by bottlers, ABA said.
“Healthy and active kids can certainly enjoy soft drinks and juice drinks, but we understand that parents want more control over what their younger children consume in school and we want to support them with this policy,” ABA President and CEO Susan Neely said in a statement.
The recommendations, which are voluntary and unenforceable, have been criticized by dietitians, nutritionists and groups representing concerned parents.
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