Soft Drinks to Include Number of Calories on Labels
by Jennifer Bunn, RNSoft drink giants Pepsi and Coke are climbing aboard the fight against obesity by moving forward with plans to include new labeling on their containers that will show the calorie content of their respective products on the front of their containers.
Following the initiative of some food industry giants to be seen as more accountable to the public, several soft drink manufacturers climbed aboard the anti-obesity train by pledging their willingness to change the labeling of their products in order to help fight against the growing obesity epidemic. A number of companies in recent years have opted to change their products by offering healthier alternatives and making their labeling more clear in terms of content that is deemed unhealthy. Fast food restaurants in several states now list calorie and fat content of items on their menu.
Now it is the soft drink industry’s turn. Pepsi and Coke, along with others, have pledged to make their labeling changes by 2012. In addition, they have released plans to limit portion sizes and offer more low-cal choices, a move that can only be seen in a positive light and will no doubt be appreciated by those who are trying to be more conscientious regarding their food choices.
