Two residents of Berkeley, California, have filed a lawsuit in state court alleging that the proposed 1-cent-per-ounce soda tax, which will appear on the ballot in November, uses “politically charged” language and affects beverages beyond the targeted “high-calorie, sugary drinks.” Johnson v. Numainville, No. RG14786763 (Cal. Super. Ct., Alameda Cty., filed August 13, 2014). The complaint accuses the city council of failing to define the term “high calorie, sugary drink,” and suggests “sugar-sweetened beverage” instead. The plaintiffs also argue that the tax would apply to “any beverage intended for human consumption to which one or more added caloric sweeteners has been added and that contains at least 2 calories per fluid ounce,” despite that under U.S. Food and Drug Administration guidelines, a 12-ounce, 24 calorie drink would actually be considered low calorie. They request that the court order the city council to insert their suggested phrases for the allegedly biased…
Tag Archives SSB
An animal study presented at the Annual Meeting of the Society for the Study of Ingestive Behavior (SSIB) held July 29-August 1, 2014, in Seattle, Washington, has reportedly claimed that “daily consumption of beverages sweetened with high-fructose corn syrup or sucrose can impair the ability to learn and remember information, particularly when consumption occurs during adolescence.” According to a July 29, 2014, SSIB press release, University of Southern California researchers reported that, unlike adult rats given daily access to sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs), rats that consumed SSBs during adolescence “were impaired in tests of learning and memory capability.” “[O]ur findings reveal that consuming sugar-sweetened drinks is also interfering with our brain’s ability to function normally and remember critical information about our environment, at least when consumed in excess before adulthood,” the lead researcher was quoted as saying. “In addition to causing memory impairment, adolescent sugar-sweetened beverage consumption also produced inflammation in the…
U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) has reportedly introduced legislation (H.R. 5279) seeking to implement a nationwide sugar-sweetened beverage tax. Dubbed the SWEET Act, the measure “would institute a tax of 1 cent per teaspoon of caloric sweetener such as sugar or high-fructose corn syrup,” according to a July 30, 2014, press release. Revenue raised by the proposed tax would be used to fund prevention and treatment programs, nutrition education and other initiatives designed to reduce obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and tooth decay. “There is a clear relationship between sugar-sweetened beverages and a host of other health conditions,” said DeLauro. “We are at a crucial tipping point and the SWEET Act will help correct the path we are currently on.” Meanwhile, Mark Bittman has already penned a New York Times opinion piece in support of the bill, arguing that a national soda tax might not pass congressional muster right now but…
Citizens of San Francisco and Berkeley will be voting on the implementation of a soda tax in the November 2014 elections. Similar taxes have failed to garner sufficient support in the past five years, with about 30 propositions introduced and none passed, including two that went to ballot and were defeated in California in 2012. Other countries have found more success with similar measures—among others, France and Mexico have each imposed taxes on sugary drinks. The San Francisco proposal, which needs a two-thirds vote to pass, would add a 2-cent-per-ounce tax on sugary drinks, excluding milk or natural fruit juice without added sugar, while the similar Berkeley proposal is 1-cent per-ounce and needs only a majority of the vote. See Associated Press, July 8, 2014. Issue 529
The Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) recently issued a draft “Carbohydrates and Health” report urging Public Health England (PHE) to halve the current population guidelines for added sugar intake. An independent expert panel that advises government agencies on nutrition and dietary matters, SACN created a Carbohydrates Working Group at the request of the U.K. Food Standards Agency and Department of Health to clarify “the relationship between dietary carbohydrates and health.” To this end, the working group reviewed scientific literature on “the terminology, classification and definitions of types of carbohydrates in the diet,” as well as evidence concerning the effects of dietary carbohydrates on oral, colorectal and cardiovascular health. After analyzing 225 prospective cohort studies and 403 randomized controlled trials, the working group concluded that although “total carbohydrate intake appears to be neither detrimental nor beneficial to cardio-metabolic health and colorectal health,” the consumption of added sugars increases energy intake…
In a 4-2 ruling with one judge not participating, New York’s highest court has affirmed lower court rulings invalidating a New York City Board of Health rule that would have limited the size of the containers in which sugary drinks are sold in certain venues. In re N.Y. Statewide Coal. of Hispanic Chambers of Commerce v. NYC Dept. of Health & Mental Hygiene, No. 134 (N.Y. June 26, 2014). Details about the intermediate appellate court ruling appear in Issue 492 of this Update. Finding that the board lacks legislative authority, the majority weighed the separation-of-powers factors that are analyzed to determine whether a particular action is legislative or regulatory and determined that the board had overstepped its authority by engaging in political compromise, choosing between ends and making difficult and complex policy choices. It contrasted agency action regulating the purity of drinking water, the use of interior lead paint or the use…
During the second National Soda Summit held in Washington, D.C., in early June 2014, ChangeLab Solutions, which has been active in tobacco control, presented a “Sugar-Sweetened Beverages [SSB] Playbook” calling for a public information campaign that would include telling consumers “you’re drinking 16 packs of sugar in that cola.” Other “playbook strategies” include a progression of activities: limiting SSBs on government property and in workplaces and schools, prohibiting SSBs in childcare and afterschool programs, restricting SSB marketing in schools, eliminating SSBs from children’s meals, licensing SSB retailers, taxing SSBs, and limiting SSB portion sizes. Each recommended action is accompanied by examples and model policies and ordinances. Issue 527
A California Assembly committee has voted 8-7 against a bill (S.B. 1000), passed in May 2014 by the Senate, to require warnings on sugar sweetened beverages (SSBs) alerting consumers that “[d]rinking beverages with added sugar(s) contributes to obesity, diabetes, and tooth decay.” Those on the Assembly Health Committee opposing the measure were apparently concerned that it singled out a single industry and children would not necessarily read the label. Industry advocates reportedly called the proposal unfair, because it would have required warnings on SSBs containing 75 calories while allowing higher calorie foods to be sold without them. Bill sponsor Sen. Bill Monning (D-Carmel), who also introduced unsuccessful legislation that would have imposed a tax on soft drinks, was quoted as saying, “I remain committed to pursuing this issue and being part of a broad public health campaign to educate communities about the proven health risks of sugary drinks.” See Reuters,…
The U.K.-based Action on Sugar campaign has issued a new survey allegedly revealing “the shockingly high and unnecessary levels of sugar in carbonated sugar-sweetened soft drinks,” according to a June 12, 2014, press release. After analyzing 232 sugar-sweetened drinks sold in grocery stores, Action on Sugar researchers reported that 79 percent of surveyed beverages contain six or more teaspoons of sugar per can. In particular, the campaign singled out ginger beer as one category of sugar-sweetened beverage with higher sugar levels than expected, recommending that these drinks contain only 9 grams of sugar per 100 milliliters. “Added sugars are completely unnecessary in our diets and are strongly linked to obesity and Type II Diabetes, as well as to dental caries; which remains a major problem for children and adults,” said Action on Sugar Chair Graham MacGregor. “Replacing sugar with sweeteners is not the answer: we need to reduce overall sweetness…
The California Senate has passed a bill (S.B. 1000) that would require all sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) containing more than 75 calories per 12-ounce serving to carry labels warning of obesity, diabetes and tooth decay. Milk-based beverages and 100 percent fruit and vegetable juices would be exempt. Introduced in February 2014 by state Sen. Bill Monning (D-Carmel) and co-sponsored by the California Center for Public Health Advocacy, the “Sugar-Sweetened Beverages Safety Warning Act,” is backed by the California Medical Association, Latino Coalition for a Healthy California and California Black Health Network. Noting “overwhelming evidence” linking obesity and the consumption of sweetened beverages,” and claiming that SSBs are the “single largest source of added sugars in the American diet,” the bill specifically seeks to “protect consumers and promote informed purchasing decisions . . . about the harmful health effects that result from the consumption of drinks with added sugars.” If passed by…
