Company-Sponsored Ads Promote New School Beverage Guidelines

September 15, 2006 edition

As America's children return to school, the beverage industry is working together to provide a broad range of lower-calorie, nutritious and smaller-portion drink choices.

Beginning this month and continuing through November, a series of four informational ads co-sponsored by our Company will appear in a wide range of newspapers, magazines and medical and education journals throughout the United States to communicate the recently established School Beverage Guidelines.

The new guidelines were created by the American Beverage Association (ABA) in partnership with the Alliance for a Healthier Generation (AHG), a joint venture of the American Heart Association and the William J. Clinton Foundation. They include the following:

Elementary schools will sell water and 8-oz., calorie-capped servings of certain juices with no added sweeteners and servings of fat-free and low-fat regular and flavored milks.

Middle schools will apply the elementary school standard with portion sizes increased slightly to 10 ounces.

High schools will sell the beverages available in elementary and middle schools, as well as no-calorie and low-calorie drinks, such as bottled water, diet and unsweetened teas, diet sodas, fitness water, low-calorie sports drinks, flavored water and seltzers, as well as light juices and sports drinks. At least half of the available beverages in high schools are to be water, no-calorie, and low-calorie selections. Light juices and sports drinks will be sold in 12-oz. containers with no more than 100 calories per container, while 100% juices and nonfat and low-fat milks will also be sold in containers up to 12 ounces.

Our Company fully supports these guidelines and is teaming up with the ABA, Cadbury Schweppes and PepsiCo to promote health and wellness within our schools by helping children learn the importance of a balanced diet and regular exercise.