Facing obesity backlash, pop giants pledge to reduce calories
NEW YORK — Coke, Pepsi and Dr Pepper/Seven Up said Tuesday they’ll work to reduce the calories Americans get from beverages by 20 per cent over the next decade by more aggressively marketing smaller sizes, bottled water and diet drinks.
The announcement was made at the Clinton Global Initiative in New York City and comes as the country’s three biggest soda pop makers face pressure over the role of sugary drinks in fuelling obesity rates.
In many ways, the commitment follows the way customers’ tastes are already changing: People have been moving away from pop on their own for several years. In response, Coca-Cola Co. and PepsiCo Inc. have been pushing smaller cans and bottles, which tend to be more profitable and are positioned as a way to control portions.
They’ve also rolled out flavoured versions of Dasani and Aquafina, respectively, as demand for bottled water has grown.
John Sicher, publisher of the industry tracker Beverage Digest, said the commitment appears to be a response to the growth challenges the companies are facing, in part because of health concerns. Between 2000 and 2013,
Beverage Digest estimates the calories people got from drinks fell by about 12 per cent. Susan Neely, president of the American Beverage Association, said the commitment with the Alliance for a Healthier Generation is intended to take such trends “to an ambitious new level.”
She said the companies will focus their efforts on communities where there has traditionally been less interest in lower-calorie drinks.