Comments on: Surreptitious Soda Companies Still in Schools

By: Comparing Fitness Waters: Gatorade Propel, Vitamin Water, Sobe LifeWater and more [Food Police]

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 21:19:32 +0000

[...] fascinated with the growing fitness water trend and the marketing games they play. For instance, as Mark’s Daily Apple points out, most fitness water manufacturers will market a calorie claim on the label (only 10 calories!), but [...]

By: Joe

Joe — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 04:54:20 +0000

Sugar is ok when moderated, but do drinks with added sugar belong in schools? Most of the industry leaders like cadburry, coke and pepsi are not selling carbonated , sugared beverages in schools.

I am all for entrepreneurship, but shouldn’t all brands in the beverage industry, in an effort to show our industry the integrity it deserves, lead by example. It is important the beverage industry put aside our differences and stand together when it comes to the welfare of our children.

So, if a product like Steaz sparkling green tea - which is going to be sold in schools starting in Senator Tom Harkin’s Iowa - has carbonation and added cane sugar, how can the beverage industry effect this the government’s decisions?

Do we really want to bring government ratings in to our industry because we could not police ourselves? This will happen if we are not careful.

By: Jessie

Jessie — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 05:29:19 +0000

A lot of drinks can be deceiving. I was buying Steaz which just came to our school because it had green tea in it. It would take a lot of green tea to justify drinking 35 grams of sugar in a can. another case of a loophole that policy makers didn’t close. And my friends don’t know any better… she thinks just because it is organic that it is healthy. Wake up and smell the diabetes.

By: Jenn

Jenn — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 21:57:05 +0000

Sports Drinks and juices can be deceiving. I used to drink Vitamin Water regularly, thinking I was making a healthy choice- since I took a closer look at the label, and realized one bottle had 2.5 servings and loads of sugar, I haven’t had another.

By: Shaping Youth

Shaping Youth — Fri, 28 Sep 2007 20:04:29 +0000

Shaping Youth just posted on how junk food is still prevalent in schools, partly based on the outdated USDA notion of what junk food “IS” by definition.

Here’s a teaser: “Sublime in its simplicity, compelling in its story, Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) has succinctly summed up the USDA nutrition guidelines as gobbledygook by dramatizing the absurdity of what is considered ‘junk food’ in schools. 5 questions. No big time zap. It’s a fabulous digital media use, worthy of a few “forward to a friend” challenges, among kids AND adults! C’mon, try it…you’ll LOVE this quiz.”

They’re clearly doing the bait-n-switch from sodas to sports drinks w/the bev. contract giants.

Also, re: we have an interview with the CEO of YoNaturals (a vending machine company trying to replace crud with healthier options in fitness facilities and such) posting in the next few days too, fyi.

Ironically, they’re NOT targeting schools at all, but I kinda wish they COULD to compete against the giants and get better content! They’re focusing on corp. lunchrooms and such to raise the bar…so I guess it’s less the ‘machine’ as the ‘content’ oui?

Also, thanks for the link as a ‘child advocate,’ in this post, though I clearly am, I suppose sometimes my rants sound a bit more like your lil’ Fumin’ Fuji’ guy, eh? Best, Amy

By: Sara G

Sara G — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 13:51:57 +0000

My college got a million dollars a year for 10 years for a contract with Pepsi to make all the cafeteria fountain drinks, vending machines, and 90% of store drinks Pepsi products.

The used the money for a field house… but at the time the students were really upset because of course their opinion wasn’t asked.