Commercial-News | September 21, 2022

The Illinois Beverage Association (IBA) welcomes our children back to school for the 2022-2023 school year, where they will have a variety of healthy beverage options to choose from. Illinois’ beverage companies are committed to supporting parents’ efforts to reduce sugar for their families. Today, nearly 60% of all beverages sold contain zero sugar.

The data shows this is working. Our industry’s Balance Calories Initiative – launched in 2014 in partnership with the Alliance for a Healthier Generation – is designed to cut sugar in the American diet and reduce beverage calories by an additional 20% per person by 2025. They are well on their way to that goal, as beverage calories consumed per person have been reduced 10% thus far.

To help parents provide healthy choices for their children while they are in school, the beverage industry voluntarily removed full-calorie beverages from public schools, reducing beverage calories in schools by 94%. Our School Beverage Guidelines have since been written into federal law governing childhood beverages.

The beverage industry is proud to play a role in providing healthy choices for Illinois children and families.

Rob Nash
Executive Director
Illinois Beverage Association