News Releases & Statements

American Beverage Association Statement on Beverages Available in Elementary Schools

In response to "Student Access to Competitive Foods in Elementary Schools: Trends Over Time and Regional Differences," a survey published today in the journal Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine," the American Beverage Association issued the following statement:

Statement:

"In early 2010, our industry announced it had successfully implemented national School Beverage Guidelines, reducing beverage calories shipped to schools by a dramatic 88 percent. In fact, when it comes to elementary schools, the guidelines removed full-calorie soft drinks and allow for only bottled water, low-fat milk and 100 percent juice in 8 ounce containers."

Additional Background Information:

• Under the School Beverage Guidelines, our member companies removed full-calorie soft drinks from all schools and replaced them with more lower-calorie, smaller-portion options.

• Only bottled water, low-fat milk and 100 percent juice are allowed in elementary and middle schools, with the addition of lower-calorie and portion-controlled beverages in high schools.

• As a result of the School Beverage Guidelines, there has been an 88 percent reduction in calories from beverages shipped to schools since 2004.

• We are confident that our School Beverage Guidelines Final Progress Report, an independent analysis by Keybridge Research, is reflective of the beverages our member companies make available in schools across the nation.

• Our School Beverage Guidelines Final Progress Report measures bottler shipments to schools only, the only way in which our member companies make beverages available in the school environment. It does not measure beverages purchased by schools from other sources such as vending companies, food service distributors and box stores.

• This is an historic effort that was implemented in good faith as a result of a promise to change the school beverage landscape in our nation's schools - and we delivered on our commitment.

• The School Beverage Guidelines are a standard that is already in place and working. We continue to support their adoption as part of the federal regulations on competitive foods and beverages in schools.

# # #

The American Beverage Association is the trade association representing the broad spectrum of companies that manufacture and distribute non-alcoholic beverages in the United States.

-30-