In 2006, our industry stepped up to do something no other industry had done. We voluntarily agreed to make significant changes in what we sold in America’s schools as part of a broader effort to teach children about the importance of leading a healthy lifestyle. We teamed with the Alliance for a Healthier Generation, a joint initiative of the William J. Clinton Foundation and the American Heart Association, to develop national School Beverage Guidelines that remove full-calorie soft drinks from all schools and provide more lower-calorie, nutritious, smaller-portion beverage options. Our implementation period is now over … and we're pleased to report that America's leading beverage companies have successfully delivered.

In fact, President Clinton announced the results earlier today at a news conference. Thanks to the School Beverage Guidelines, there are now 88 percent fewer calories from beverages in our nation’s schools - 88 percent! Now that's change we can believe in!

The Alliance School Beverage Guidelines Final Progress Report shows a number of remarkable achievements. Here are some of the highlights:

Calories available from beverages in schools have been cut dramatically. In fact, 88 percent fewer beverage calories were shipped to schools between 2004, the last comprehensive data available prior to the agreement, and the end of 2009. Full-calorie soft drinks have been removed. Shipments of full-calorie soft drinks to schools have declined by 95 percent. We have successfully changed the beverage landscape in schools across the country. The guidelines provide for a range of lower-calorie, nutritious and smaller-portion beverage options. The School Beverage Guidelines are a national standard that is in place and working. In short, the beverage industry worked with its school partners to accomplish a change in school nutrition that Washington is still just talking about. And we support making them federal law, a point we have testified to on several occasions.

Our industry is the only industry that has voluntarily and successfully implemented a national standard in schools across the country. For more information and to view the final progress report online, please click here.