REPORT SAYS TOO MUCH SODA CAN BE HARMFUL

BARBARA McDONALD

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Consumers don't seem to be paying much attention to recent warnings from the Center for Science in the Public Interest, based here, on the dangers of drinking too much soda, according to SN spot checks with retailers.

CSPI held a press conference on Oct. 21 and released a new report, Liquid Candy, about the possible health consequences of the overconsumption of soda.

Although CSPI later issued a press release correcting figures in one of the tables, which had erroneously doubled some of consumption data, Michael Jacobson, executive director, told SN kids are still drinking "tremendous amounts" of soda.

"The average 12- to 19-year-old drinks twice as much soda pop as milk," said the corrected CSPI news release, and "many teenagers get 15% to 20% of their calories from soft drinks."

CSPI's figures are from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Osteoporosis, obesity, tooth decay and heart disease are possible health consequences of consuming too much sugary pop, CSPI said.

"We heard about it in the press, but there hasn't been any feedback from customers. In fact, [the report] hit here during a price war; we're selling more cases than ever," said Joe Hendrick, a buyer for H.G. Hill, Nashville.

Becca Anderson, director of public relations for Bashas', Inc., Chandler, Ariz., said she doubted the CSPI's warning would make an impact.

"In this market, everyone checks the prices of soda pop before they go shopping. For many shoppers, that determines where they will shop that week. This is the desert; we drink a lot of liquids. We certainly haven't had any calls from customers or concerns [expressed], or any activity that would be trackable to that. Pop is very popular," she said.

Pat Redmond, grocery buyer for Rosauers, Spokane, Wash., said that CSPI's report will have no impact on soda sales. "Bottled water has impacted sales in beverages more than this doomsday stuff," he noted.

In Nashville, Hendrick said when Albertson's moved into his market after acquiring Bruno's and its Foodmax division, prices dropped on soft drinks. "Kroger responded with some hot prices; then we jumped in," he said. Last week, for example, a 12-pack of Coke was selling at H.G. Hill's for $1.99, and Pepsi was on sale the previous week for $1.79.

"That thing was all but ignored, it seems like," Hendrick added, referring to the CSPI warning.

But Jacobsen of CSPI said that "In the nutrition community, everybody has been focusing on fat, forgetting that there are other dietary problems, including increased sugar consumption, which contributes to obesity and dental problems.

"A more interesting problem is osteoporosis, because in many peoples' diets, soda pop replaces milk. For teenage girls, this doesn't help," Jacobson told SN. Osteoporosis is a bone disease linked to lack of calcium.

The National Soft Drink Association, also based here, issued a statement following the CSPI press conference that said CSPI was "promoting unfounded consumer alarm by attacking a perfectly safe and enjoyable food or beverage product, in this case soft drinks."

The Grocery Manufacturers of America, also here, issued its own statement criticizing CSPI's report as "the latest food police attack."