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SOURCE Canadian Beverage Association
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
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