Q&As

The Beverage Industry's New School Beverage Guidelines

The following series of questions and answers provides more information about the beverage industry’s new School Beverage Guidelines.

What is the ABA announcing with its new School Beverage Guidelines?

We are working with the Alliance for a Healthier Generation to provide new School Beverage Guidelines that will limit the number of calories present in beverage products throughout the school by providing students with even more low-calorie and nutritious or functional beverages. The new guidelines build upon the school vending policy adopted by the beverage industry last summer. The Alliance for a Healthier Generation is a joint initiative of the William J. Clinton Foundation and the American Heart Association under the leadership of President Clinton and California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.

The beverage industry applauds the Alliance for a Healthier Generation for the comprehensive approach its Healthy Schools Program takes to school wellness. The program sets meaningful standards for nutrition, physical activity, physical education and staff wellness in our schools. Our industry is proud to be part of that effort.

Why are you working with the Alliance for a Healthier Generation?

The beverage industry recognizes the importance of ensuring healthy lifestyles for children, which is why the industry worked with the Alliance to develop the School Beverage Guidelines in 2006. The partnership with the Alliance for a Healthier Generation builds upon the beverage industry’s long-standing tradition of being community leaders.

The Alliance shares our desire for schools to have comprehensive fitness, health and nutrition programs to teach children how to lead healthy lives. The new beverage initiative reinforces with children the importance of balancing calories consumed with calories burned. We believe achieving this balance is the most meaningful way to have an impact on the health and wellness of our children.

The Alliance’s comprehensive approach to school wellness pursues this balance as well. The Alliance's Healthy Schools initiative seeks to increase physical activity in schools as well as change the mix of foods sold in schools. And the Alliance provides a strong working relationship between the American Heart Association, William J. Clinton Foundation, American Beverage Association, America’s schools and parents.

How will the beverage industry work to implement this policy?

The ABA and the three signatory companies will encourage their bottlers to work with schools and school districts to amend existing contracts to change the product mix to include only beverages outlined in the policy. The ABA, with the Alliance for a Healthier Generation, will make diligent efforts to encourage independent food and beverage distributors and contract operators to adopt this policy within three years. Together, we will also seek to encourage those organizations whose members comprise the individuals in school food service who develop requests for proposals (RFPs) to adopt and promote this policy to its members within a year.

When will the beverage industry implement this policy?

We are implementing the policy now. The goal is to achieve implementation of this initiative for 75 percent of schools prior to the start of the 2008-2009 school year and full implementation prior to the 2009-2010 school year. Reaching these goals is provided that schools and school districts are willing to amend existing school contracts and change the mix of products in their schools.

How will progress toward implementation be reported?

Beginning in August 2007, and annually thereafter, the American Beverage Association will support an annual analysis that will disclose the status of this initiative. The ABA will make this information public on its Web site and/or by press release.

Have bottlers agreed to this new policy?

Cadbury Schweppes Americas Beverages, The Coca-Cola Company and PepsiCo and have all signed on to the Alliance and will encourage their bottlers to only sell products that meet the specifications of the initiative.

Why does the policy remove regular soft drinks from schools?

We believe soft drinks are appropriate for children and adults and, like all our beverages, can be part of a balanced, healthy lifestyle when consumed in moderation. It is appropriate for parents to treat their child to a soft drink. And it is perfectly appropriate for teenagers to choose a soft drink as refreshment.

But we recognize the uniqueness of the school environment. We also know that parents have a desire for greater control in the school setting. This initiative was developed in partnership with parents and gives them more control over the beverage choices their children have during school. It’s a common sense response to better serve parents and children during school.

We particularly like this relationship because it focuses on calories consumed and calories burned. We need to start doing the hard work of teaching our children how to consume foods and beverages as part of a balanced diet and active lifestyle. And we share the Alliance’s desire to get more physical activity into schools and the lives of our students.

The beverage industry provides millions of dollars to support and sponsor youth sports teams and leagues throughout the country, including the YMCA and Boys and Girls Clubs. For instance, in conjunction with the National Association for Sport and Physical Education, Coke developed the “Live It!” program, which encourages middle school students to get active and provides nutritional education materials. PepsiCo provides “Balanced First” nutrition education programs to elementary and middle schools. Cadbury Schweppes Americas Beverages has launched a three-year, multi-million dollar alliance to support the American Diabetes Association’s efforts to fight obesity and diabetes in the U.S.

By shifting the focus to calories, we hope schools will begin teaching students how to consume foods and beverages as part of a balanced diet and be more active.

Why are low-calorie soft drinks allowed in school under the policy?

The policy focus is on calories and helping to control calorie consumption. Students enjoy variety in their beverage choices and diet soft drinks are an appropriate refreshment for high school students. The fact that these drinks are low-calorie and refreshing helps to reinforce the focus on calories for students as part of maintaining a healthy weight and lifestyle.

Diet soft drinks allow students to enjoy a refreshing beverage without consuming calories.

Why are sports drinks allowed in school under the policy?

Sports drinks clearly have a functional place in schools. Studies show that 53% of high school students participate in interscholastic sports before, during and after school, and sports drinks provide a functional benefit necessary for students to add energy and absorb fluids efficiently. This makes sports drinks an effective beverage for prehydrating and rehydrating students active in team sports, recreational activities and rigorous physical education activity. In short, the calories contained in sports drinks, largely through carbohydrates, are needed to fuel working muscles of active students. Furthermore, the guidelines cap calories for sports drinks in schools at 66 calories per 8 ounces.

Why did you agree to limit portion sizes for certain drinks?

Again, we agree with the focus on calories. So with certain caloric drinks that have nutritional or functional value – such as sports drinks, juice and milk – we agree with efforts to keep calorie consumption in check as well.

Limiting calories in schools is a sensible approach that acknowledges our industry’s long-standing belief that solutions to obesity must focus on teaching kids to consume a balanced diet and exercise more.

What does this policy mean for schools drafting and implementing new wellness policies?

We encourage schools to consider our guidelines as they develop the beverage portion of their wellness policies. It is a strong, balanced and common-sense initiative.