American Beverage Association

Sip & Savor - Recent Posts

Something to Feel Good About

It’s Friday and the weekend is almost upon us!  Weekends are a great time to catch up on things we missed or neglected during a busy week: gathering with friends, enjoying time outdoors, getting to the gym and – not everyone’s favorite – household chores. So, this weekend we’re giving you something to feel good about between loads of laundry: facts on recycling!

Did you know that beverage containers are among the most recycled materials?  Recycling reduces the amount of energy needed to produce something new while also protecting the environment by preserving landfill space and reducing water pollution.  Now more than ever beverage producers are using ‘green’ technology such as solar roofing and high efficiency refrigeration to save energy during the manufacturing process and delivering beverages using innovative, light-weight packaging to reduce the use of raw materials upfront.  And, all of our containers  are 100 percent recyclable!

For more facts on recycling and to find out more about recycling in your own neighborhood, be sure to visit our website.

So, feel great about doing your part by recycling today and every day! Wherever you are, Think Inside the Bin!


ABA Applauds Lima’s Childhood Obesity Prevention Program

Yesterday, the City of Lima, Ohio, introduced its partners for its Healthy Living Hubs childhood obesity prevention program.  Lima was one of six cities that was awarded a 2012 Childhood Obesity Prevention grant from the U.S. Conference of Mayors last month.

The awards are the result of a partnership between the U.S. Conference of Mayors and the American Beverage Association. Grants went to cities with outstanding programs that focus on educating children and families about the importance of balancing calories and engaging in regular physical activity as ways to achieve a healthy, active and balanced lifestyle.

Finishing first in the small cities category, Lima received support for three selected neighborhoods that are high poverty food deserts, according to a U.S. Conference of Mayors news release. Children and families living in and around these hubs will be provided with fitness classes, access to fresh produce via a mobile produce program, nutrition classes and more.  Mayor David Berger worked with the Lima Family YMCA to develop an initiative that would address the nutrition and health needs in the community.

Check out this article from The Lima News, and let us know what you think!

Our industry is proud to support initiatives such as this one in Lima, Ohio.  Our partnership with the U.S. Conference of Mayors builds upon long-standing work by our industry to be part of meaningful solutions to help reduce obesity by supporting nutrition education for children, strengthening communities and empowering consumers.  It’s another public-private partnership dedicated to making a real difference.


Making It Easier To Choose

Whatever your preference – flavors, portion sizes and a wide range of calories – we’re making it easier to choose the beverages that are right for you and your family.  By placing new calorie labels on the front of every bottle, can and pack we produce – we’re putting calorie information right where you need it — at your fingertips.

And that’s not all we’re doing to deliver on meaningful policies and programs.  With our national School Beverage Guidelines, we removed full-calorie soft drinks from all schools and replaced them with more lower-calorie, smaller-portion choices.  Through the guidelines, our companies cut total beverage calories shipped to schools by a dramatic 88 percent since 2004.

Keep an eye out for our new TV ad, or if you have a few minutes – check it out now in the “Worth a Watch” section on our homepage! And don’t forget to Tweet us when you see it!


Sip Your Way to … Asthma? Come on….

Perhaps you’ve read something in the last week or so that suggests drinking soda will give you asthma.  We know … it was an odd one for us to read, too.  But a journal recently published a telephone survey of less than 17,000 adults from South Australia which alleges an association between drinking soft drinks and asthma and lung disease.  As we usually like to do, we’re sharing a few points to help you make a more informed opinion on this alleged association:

  1. Asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (commonly known as COPD) are not caused by drinking soda and other sweetened beverages.
  2. That’s not just our opinion.  The authors of the survey themselves note that “causal relationships could not be established.” After all, this was a cross-sectional study which simply can’t prove cause and effect.
  3. Interestingly, the findings of the survey show no association between soft drink consumption and asthma or COPD among non-smokers (considering that smoking is a known risk factor for asthma and lung disease.)

So when you read about the latest “study of the day,” try to remember that real science is undermined when we focus on implausible associations between two things, such as soft drinks and lung disease.  And if you want to get the facts on lung disease, there’s a wealth of information available on the websites of The Mayo Clinic and the American Lung Association.


It’s the Final Countdown…

Valentine’s Day is less than 24 hours away.  And whether you celebrate this centuries-old holiday or not, there’s no denying that it provides an economic boost to America.  In fact, according to the National Retail Federation, this year’s holiday is estimated to contribute around $17.6 billion to our economy. If you’re interested in just how those dollars may be spent – from flowers and cards, to jewelry and dining out – as well as how the holiday can translate into future economic boosts (February 14 is responsible for 10 percent of annual wedding proposals!), check out  an article posted today on Time.com.

However you choose to celebrate (or not), we hope you find a way to enjoy one of our industry’s refreshing beverages.  From global brands to regional favorites, there’s plenty of options from which to choose.  After all, America’s beverage industry is delivering more choices, smaller portions, fewer calories and clearer labels across the country. And our industry also plays an important role in our nation’s economy.  With a direct economic impact of $118.9 billion, our industry provides more than 227,000 jobs and helps to support hundreds of thousands more that depend, in part, on beverage sales for their livelihoods.

Happy (almost) Valentine’s Day!


A Beverage By Any Other Name Is Just As Refreshing

Have you ever traveled from one side of the country to another or from northern states to southern, gone to a local restaurant and ordered your regular refreshing soft drink only to be met by a confused look on the waitress’ face? Even though you’re speaking the same language, you’re still not getting through for some reason. That’s because, just like dialect, beverage names shift throughout the country. What is “pop” to vast parts of the Midwest becomes “soda” in New England and California. But unlike accents, soft drink names can change not only across state boarders but as closely as town lines! Check out this map compiled by the National Geographic Society of Oklahoma and East Central University that displays soft drink names by county in each state across the U.S.

Wherever you call home and whatever you call your non-alcoholic beverages, just remember that the beverage industry is delivering more choices – from full-calorie to no- and low-calorie beverages, ranging in portion sizes and taste – so there is something for everyone to enjoy.


Happy Anniversary, “Let’s Move!” and Clear on Calories!

First Lady Michelle Obama celebrates the two year anniversary of her “Let’s Move!” campaign today. And we have a little something special to celebrate ourselves.  Today also marks the second anniversary of the launch of our Clear on Calories initiative – our industry’s commitment to make calories more visible and consumer friendly by putting calorie labels on the front  of every bottle, can and pack they produce.

You should be seeing our new calorie labels when you visit your local grocery or corner store.  With Clear on Calories, we’re making it easier for parents and individuals to choose the beverage that’s right for them and their families. And don’t forget – our industry is providing more choices and fewer calories!

These efforts are all part of how the beverage industry is doing its part to help solve the complex problem of childhood obesity.  With our national School Beverage Guidelines, we removed full-calorie soft drinks and replaced them with more lower-calorie, smaller-portion options. The guidelines have cut beverage calories shipped to schools by 88 percent since 2004.

And you can watch our new TV ad to see how America’s beverage companies are making it easier to choose the beverage that’s right for you – with more choices, smaller portions, fewer calories and clear calorie labels.


No Surprise Here – Most Americans Oppose Soda Taxes

If you’ve read Sip & Savor before, you know a topic we are passionate about is soda taxes.  We’ve shared our position on them – they’re discriminatory; regressive; won’t solve the complex issue of obesity that some in the public health community allege they will; and quite simply, are nothing more than a money grab.  We’ve also shared polling on the topic, noting that most Americans oppose the notion of placing excise taxes on our industry’s beverages.

Today, there’s more news on that front.  According to a new survey 64 percent of respondents oppose a 20 percent tax on soda.  You can read more about the survey, and its strengths and weaknesses, in an article posted just this afternoon on Forbes.com.


How Would You Spend $1.5 Billion?

If a politician in Washington, D.C. asked you how to spend $1.5 billion, what would you recommend? Keep in mind, it’s taxpayer money, so you can’t use it to fly you and your sweetie to Paris for a special Valentine’s Day weekend or on an all-inclusive stay at a resort in the Bahamas to work on your winter tan. It needs to be spent (or saved) in the public interest.

Perhaps you’d use the money to pay down the budget deficit…

Build or repair the roads and bridges in your state…

Fund a food program for children in America who go hungry each night…

Send the money back to the states to pay for education…

Some folks think they have the answer on how to spend those dollars.  For example, Center for Science in the Public Interest Executive Director Michael Jacobson, who holds a Ph.D. in microbiology, just wrote an article proposing to spend a whopping $1.5 billion on “major mass-media campaigns to encourage people to eat less junk food and more healthful foods.” He also likes the idea of spending your money on cooking classes and bike trails (never mind that pothole you hit on the way to work today).

One and a half billion dollars is a lot of money to spend on a belief that people can’t possibly be capable of making decisions for what they eat – that they need the government to help them figure it out.

A recent NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll reports that only 13 percent of Americans approve of the job Congress is doing. So, do you trust them to make decisions about what you can and can’t eat?

There are many problems facing our country today. Obesity and proper health are problems we face as a nation. But we can make decisions for ourselves and our families each and every day without the help of lawmakers. What we can’t do without is their help is fill the pothole on the way to work, fund the music program at our local school or make a dent in the federal deficit. Priorities matter.


Delivering Choices

Perhaps you’ve seen our new TV ad showcasing how our great industry is delivering choices?  (If not, we hope you check out the “Worth a Watch” section on our homepage.)

Here at Sip & Savor we’re proud to work for an industry that is delivering more choices, smaller portions, fewer calories and clearer labels.  It’s all part of how America’s beverage industry is delivering real results that are making a difference for families and individuals in our communities – making it easier to choose the drink that’s right for them.

Whatever your preference – flavors, portion sizes and a wide range of calories, we’re sure to deliver.  And we’re delivering meaningful policies, too. With our national School Beverage Guidelines, we removed full-calorie soft drinks from all schools and replaced them with more low-calorie, smaller-portion choices.  Through the guidelines, our companies cut total beverage calories shipped to schools by a dramatic 88 percent since 2004.  And we’re also placing new calorie labels on the front of every bottle, can and pack we produce -  putting calorie information at the fingertips of consumers.