Warning Labels on Sodas and Sugary Drinks

      California may be the first state to require warning labels on the front of sodas and other sugary drinks.  The proposed legislation was announced in Sacramento, California on February 13, 2014.  The dispute is over added calories.  The bill, SB1000, would require the warning on the front of all containers of drinks with added sweetners that have 75 or more calories in every 12 ounces. Medical groups supporting the bill countered with their own data saying sugary drinks are the largest source of added calories to Americans' diets in the previous three decades.  Democratic Senator William Monning proposed the bill, and said, the warning labels are similar to efforts to control alcohol and tobacco.  Senator William  Monning says there is clear research showing the link between sugary drinks and obesity.  The bill has the support of the California Medical Association and the California Center for Public Health Advocacy.  The goal of the label is to give consumers the right to know about the medical risks of drinking sodas, Monning said.  CalBev the California arm of the American Beverage Association says that the industry already posts nutrition on the front of many bottles, that is part of a similar campaign that began in 2010.  Soda companies are saying only six percent of the country's diet comes from sodas and energy drinks.  Most of the excess food that we are  eating comes in the form of oils and starches in food.  Soda companies are also saying the price tag of adding new labels would increase the cost of doing business in California.  See also, www.jambajuice.com.