Palatinose - Soft Drinks International

2 CoMMEnT
Soft Drinks International – February 2011
Published by
ASAP Publishing Limited
Editor
Philip Tappenden
News Editor
Annette Sessions
Correspondents:
EUroPE
Gerard o’Dwyer
Lubomír Sedlák
Bernadette Tournay
ASIA & PACIFIC
Kelvin King
T. C. Malhotra
AMErICAS
richard Davis
Market Analyst
richard Corbett
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Clear and transparent
The news that UK ambulances are having to fit larger stretchers in their vehicles
to accommodate overweight patients is further evidence of the country's
burgeoning waistlines and rise in obesity levels. The UK's obesity problem is not
unique. In Finland, for example – as reported on page 5 – the government has
imposed a controversial tax on soft drinks and confectionary products in a bid, it
says, to promote nutritional and health standards among the population. And in
the US there has been any number of state legislative attempts to raise income by
suggesting a tax on sodas.
Despite governments worldwide recognising the long term and financially
demanding obesity problem and introducing initiatives to combat and stem its
growth, the numbers of overweight continue to rise.
As both the British Soft Drinks Association (BSDA) and American Beverage
Association (ABA) have long maintained, obesity is a complex problem for which
non-alcoholic drinks should not be held accountable. In the austerity years which
followed the Second World War the soft drinks repertoire consisted in the main of
squashes and high-sugared drinks of the soda pop variety, viewed nowadays as
one of the culprits when it comes to childhood obesity. Yet children of the 50s
and 60s were slim. They walked to school, played outside and were encouraged in
every sporting endeavour.
The obesity problem has always been, and will continue to be, a question of
calories in versus calories out.
The ABA's recently announced 'Clear on Calories' initiative with new calorie
count labels appearing on front of the pack is certainly good news. This is a
voluntary commitment. Transparency is key in the obesity debate more so with
consumer confusion over sugar levels especially regarding juices which contain a
natural sugar element. Nothing could be more transparent than consumers seeing
for themselves the number of calories contained within the drink they are buying.
ABA's President and CEO, Susan K. Neely, said: “By putting the calories on the
front of beverages, we're making it easier for consumers to make informed choices.
It's one more way that America's beverage companies are doing their part to help
people achieve a healthy weight by balancing their diet and physical activity.”
The participating companies – The Coca-Cola Company, PepsiCo, Dr Pepper
Snapple Group, Sunny Delight Beverages, Nestlé Waters North America, Cott
Beverages and Honest Tea - expect to have the calorie label on the front of all of
their major brands and more than half their product volume by June and on all
brands and packages by early 2012 as committed.
As ABA points out The Clear on Calories initiative has required a significant
manufacturing, distribution and resource commitment by the participating
companies who are actively redesigning and converting the package labels across
their products be they carbonates, 100% juice and juice drinks, rtd teas, sports
drinks, or water and water plus beverages.
Time will tell whether other food and drink products will follow in ABA's
footsteps. For the here and now the 'Clear on Calories' initiative has to be
applauded.
Soft Drinks International (1997), formerly Soft Drinks Management International (1988),
was originally founded as the Soft Drinks Trade Journal in 1947, incorporating The British &
Colonial Mineral Water Trade Journal (1888) with the Soft Drinks & Allied Trade Review,
formerly the Mineral Water & Allied Trade Review (1873).
The entire contents of Soft Drinks International are protected by copyright and no part may be reproduced without written
permission of the publishers. Whilst every effort is made to ensure that the information contained in Soft Drinks International is
accurate, the editor and publisher cannot accept responsibility for errors, and the views expressed do not necessarily represent those
of the editor or publisher. The fact that product names are not identified as trademarks is not to be taken as an indication that such
names are not registered trademarks.