Murkowski Hails Beverage Industry Decision to Halt Nearly All Sales of Soda to Schools

MURKOWSKI HAILS BEVERAGE INDUSTRY DECISION TO HALT NEARLY ALL SALES OF SODA TO SCHOOLS

DECISION COMES ONLY WEEKS AFTER THE INTRODUCTION OF THE CHILD NUTRITION PROMOTION AND SCHOOL LUNCH PROTECTION ACT

Senator Lisa Murkowski today praised the decision of the nation's leading beverage distributors to suspend nearly all soda sales to public schools. Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, the American Beverage Industry and Cadbury Schweppes have all agreed to sell only water, unsweetened juice and low-fat milk to elementary and middle schools.

Last month, Senator Murkowski joined Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) to introduce the Child Nutrition Promotion and School Lunch Protection Act. This legislation would update the definition of "food of minimal nutritional value" and ensure that all foods that are sold in schools - including foods and beverages sold in vending machines - will meet new nutritional standards.

"As childhood obesity rates continuing to climb at an alarming pace, today's decision by the nation's leading beverage distributors could not have come at a more critical time," said Senator Murkowski. "By removing unhealthy sodas from vending machines, we are taking an important step forward in our efforts to improve the nutritional quality of beverages being offered in our schools. However, this agreement should put snack food manufacturers on notice that momentum continues to build in support of also replacing the junk foods being sold at school. And until we completely update the nutritional quality of all the foods we offer in our cafeterias and vending machines, I will continue my efforts to bring healthier foods into our schools. I thank former president Bill Clinton and Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee for all they have done to help combat the obesity epidemic afflicting so many of our children and for their work in brokering this agreement with the beverage industry."

Overweight and obesity are already taking a substantial toll on the health and economy of the United States and Alaska. Based on current national estimates, obesity kills nearly 500 Alaskans each year. To combat this growing epidemic, many school districts throughout the country and Alaska have already begun to take unhealthy foods out of their schools. The Mat-Su School District has already taken steps remove junk food and the Anchorage School District recently announced that it too will begin to phase out unhealthy foods and beverages from its vending machines.

http://murkowski.senate.gov/pressapp/record.cfm?id=255127