Atlanta, May 03, 2006 - The Coca-Cola Company today pledged its strong support of the American Beverage Association's new industry-recommended school beverage guidelines for the U.S. which accelerate the shift to lower calorie and nutritious beverages for children in schools.
Following is the statement made by Don Knauss, President, Coca-Cola North America at the ABA press conference announcing the new school beverage guidelines:
"Schools are a unique environment - one in which the goals of our Company line up squarely with the goals of the Alliance for a Healthier Generation," said Don Knauss, President, Coca-Cola North America. "Our broad product portfolio in the U.S. offers great taste, refreshment, hydration and nutrition, and we're pleased to use that portfolio to join the Alliance in helping to reduce calories and increase nutrition in our schools."
"By combining our product offerings with the nutrition and physical education programs we support, such as Live It!, Triple Play and Copa Coca-Cola, we can help put schools at the forefront of the efforts to create a healthier generation."
"We believe that the new school beverage guidelines set forth the right beverage mix for schools and we will work with our bottlers, customers and school partners to encourage implementation of them as soon as possible."
"We feel strongly that by advocating these new guidelines, and accelerating the shift to low-calorie and nutritious beverages for the school environment, we can also strengthen our industry's ability to counter the perception by our critics that some of our products don't fit into a balanced diet. It's a perception that is simply not true. Our broad range of beverages will continue to be a part of occasions where the need for hydration, refreshment, nutrition and celebration go hand-in-hand with physical activity, fun and enjoyment."
"The responsibility for achieving balanced lifestyles is shared by everyone. We can all work together to encourage choices that include a balanced and nutritious mix of foods, beverages and physical activity. Everyone has a role to play. With today's announcement, we're joining in to do our part."