American Beverage Association Responds to Proposed Regulations for Competitive Foods in Schools

The ABA said:"USDA's proposed regulations reflect the success of the industry guidelines, which were developed by the Alliance for a Healthier Generation and implemented in schools across the country more than two years ago."

04 Feb 2013 --- In response to the Federal Register’s publication of proposed regulations on competitive foods in schools, the American Beverage Association issued the following statement:

Statement:

“We commend the USDA for its hard work in developing updated standards for competitive foods in schools and for taking the standards implemented voluntarily by our industry into consideration. USDA’s proposed regulations reflect the success of the industry guidelines, which were developed by the Alliance for a Healthier Generation and implemented in schools across the country more than two years ago.  Research published last year in the American Journal of Public Health confirmed that full-calorie soft drinks have been removed from schools nationwide through this initiative and that beverage calories shipped to schools were reduced by 90 percent between 2004 and the end of the 2009-2010 school year. Practical approaches such as these will continue to have meaningful and lasting impact for generations of schoolchildren to come.”