Leading Soda Companies Pledge to Reduce Beverage Calories by 20 Percent

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The three largest soda-makers, Coca-Cola, PepsiCo and the Dr Pepper Snapple Group, made big promises at the 10th annual Clinton Global Initiative this week.

The country’s leading beverage companies have set a goal to reduce beverage calories consumed per person nationally by 20 percent by 2025.

According to an article in the New York Times, the companies plan to reach this goal by a multitude of strategies. They plan to expand the presence of low- and no-calorie drinks, as well as drinks sold in smaller portions, and use their promotional skills to educate and encourage consumers to reduce the calories they are drinking.

The program will cover company-owned vending machines and coolers in convenience stores, as well as fountain soda dispensers like those found in fast-food restaurants and movie theaters. The companies control almost all of those machines, in addition to about one-third of vending machines and 80 percent of coolers.

Grocery stores will also feel the effects through new end-of-aisle promotions and other marketing.

Because Latino kids tend to drink more sugary drinks than their peers, this decision by soda companies has the potential to positively impact Latino health, if the companies stick to their word.

According to the news article, the commitment will be evaluated throughout the ten year span.

Read a press release from the Alliance for a Healthier Generation

Check out this conversation between PepsiCo chairman and CEO Indra Nooyi and Risa Lavizzo-Mourey, MD, president and CEO of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation as they discuss the industry’s new pledge and what role businesses and philanthropy play in building a culture of health.