US: USDA urged to support lower soft drinks consumption
By just-drinks.com editorial team | 15 June 2009
The US Government is being urged to jettison rules that ban states from using federal money to discourage soft drinks consumption, a health advocacy group has said.
Rules adopted during the Bush administration prohibit the use of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program funds for disparaging or criticising any food, the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) said late last week.
It is urging the US Deparment of Agriculture to repeal the ban.
"Soft drinks are the only food or beverage directly linked to obesity," said CSPI legal affairs director Bruce Silverglade. "Yet under the Bush Administration, USDA gagged state health officials and blocked important nutrition education efforts. We hope the Obama administration will quickly reverse course and instead actively support state campaigns aimed at reducing soda consumption and obesity."
In 2008, USDA told California officials the state could not use federal funds to run a "soda-free summer" campaign. To obtain funding, California had to change the campaign motto to the milder "rethink your drink," according to CSPI.
Sectors: Soft drinks
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Focus - Politics and soft drinks
Campaigners are lobbying for the repeal of regulations prohibiting the use of federal funds for public health messages which focus on specific foods or drinks. As the US soft drinks industry campaigns against the introduction of a tax on soft drinks to pay for healthcare reform, it now faces further pressure. Ben Cooper reports.
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Calls to the American Beverage Association went unanswered prior to our deadline on this story. This law is something that we are investigating further, however. Thanks for your comments on the issue. CM.
j-drinks deputy ed said at 6:15 pm, June 16, 2009
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