The Canadian Beverage Association comments on "No Time To Wait: The Healthy Kids Strategy"

CBA Agrees that Education is Key to Reducing Childhood Obesity

TORONTO, March 4, 2013 /CNW/ - The Canadian Beverage Association (CBA) agrees that childhood obesity is a complex health issue. We support the Health Kids Panel position that education will play a major role in helping to reduce childhood obesity and we believe that the beverage industry can be part of that solution by offering Ontario families the tools and products necessary to help make informed beverage decisions for themselves and their families.

Canadian research shows that 87% of Canadians feel that the government should be educating the public about changing their behaviour¹. The Canadian Beverage Association and its members have undertaken a number of concrete and meaningful actions to responsibly market their products and help promote healthy active lifestyles.

"The Canadian Beverage Association supports the Panel's focus on education and information," said Jim Goetz, President, Canadian Beverage Association. "Our members have voluntarily implemented a number of initiatives, including Clear on Calories, our guidelines on marketing to children and our school beverage guidelines, to help provide Canadians with the information they need to help make informed beverage decisions for themselves and their families."

Calorie Education

In February 2011, the industry launched Clear on Calories, a front of pack caloric labeling initiative designed to help Canadians understand the caloric content of beverages so they could make more informed purchasing and consumption decisions for themselves and their families. Clear on Calories:

• Prominently displays total caloric count up front on all single-serve packaging up to 591 ml plus a revised Nutrition Facts panel that identifies the full caloric content of the product.
• Labels multi-serve packaging (larger than 591 ml) per serving as required by Health Canada.
• Displays caloric content on beverage vending machines.

Parental Input

• To further provide parents with more control over what their children consumed throughout the day our members introduced Industry Guidelines for the Sale of Beverages in Schools. Completed in 2009, this commitment removed all soft drinks and provided water and 100% juice in elementary and middle schools. It also removed full-calorie soft drinks from secondary schools and capped caloric content and portion sizes. Energy drinks are not, nor have they ever been, sold by our members in elementary, middle or secondary schools.

Marketing of Beverages in Canada

• Canadian Beverage Association members have worked together to develop and agree to extensive Guidelines on Marketing to Children that prevent marketing of beverages - other than fruit juice, milk and water - to children under the age of 12. (full guidelines are available at www.canadianbeverage.ca). In addition, many beverage companies participate in the Canadian Children's Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative and other global guidelines which further limit marketing to children.

The Canadian Beverage Association is the national trade association representing the broad spectrum of brands and companies that manufacture and distribute the majority of non-alcoholic refreshment beverages consumed in Canada.

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¹ Ipsos Research, January 2011 for Refreshments Canada

SOURCE: Canadian Beverage Association

Stephanie Baxter
Canadian Beverage Association
416-362-2424
[email protected]