The American Beverage Association (ABA) released today a report showing that nearly three in four Americans have access to curbside recycling programs - but the infrastructure is in place for millions more to gain access to this convenient and efficient form of recycling.

In response to a paper issued today by the Center for Science in the Public Interest, the American Beverage Association (ABA) issued the following statement:

In response to "Bubbling Over: Soda Consumption and Its Link to Obesity in California," a health policy research brief issued by the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research, Dr. Maureen L. Storey, senior vice president of science policy for the American Beverage Association, said:

In response to "The Public Health and Economic Benefits of Taxing Sugar-Sweetened Beverages," a Health Policy Report published today in the New England Journal of Medicine, Susan Neely, president and CEO for the American Beverage Association (ABA), issued the following statement:

"We agree that obesity is a serious public health issue, but the solution put forth by these researchers simply won't work. Reducing obesity will only be addressed through comprehensive solutions.

The messages being spread about beverages by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene are so over the top that they are counterproductive to serious efforts to address a complex issue such as obesity.  Like most foods, soft drinks and other sugar-sweetened beverages are a source of calories. Simply naming one food source as a unique contributor minimizes a disease as complex as obesity.  The key to energy balance and maintaining a healthy weight is counting calories in and calories out, not focusing on specific foods or abstaining from any one food or beverage in particular.

In response to "Dietary Sugars Intake and Cardiovascular Health: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association," published in the journal Circulation, Dr. Maureen Storey, senior vice president of science policy for the American Beverage Association, said:

"Like many foods, soft drinks and other sugar-sweetened beverages are a source of calories, but in and of themselves, they are not a unique risk factor for obesity or other negative health outcomes - including heart disease. 

The American Beverage Association (ABA) and its members today expressed disappointment in the decision by Judge Batts of the U.S. District Court of the Southern District of New York to lift the injunction regarding the implementation of the recent amendments to the New York bottle bill for products other than bottled water.

The American Beverage Association (ABA) and Munich Trade Fairs International Group (MMI) today announced their collaboration with InterBev 2010 and drinktec 2009.  As part of the alliance, both ABA and MMI will promote the two events within their respective membership and stakeholders, and also will offer exclusive programming geared toward beverage and dairy audiences at each event.

The American Beverage Association (ABA) and the International Bottled Water Association (IBWA) today announced their co-sponsorship of InterBev 2010, the beverage industry's premiere tradeshow. Following on the resounding success of InterBev 2008, InterBev 2010 will take place September 22-24, 2010, at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla.

The beverage industry today expressed disappointment at the U.S. Conference of Mayors' passage of a resolution that funds a study to look at creating disparate pricing structures for sales of municipal water for water bottling.

Cutting calories in schools reinforces skills for a lifetime; discriminatory taxes just raise revenue

In response to legislation introduced today by Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, and Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, Susan K. Neely, president and CEO of the American Beverage Association, issued the following statement:

The American Beverage Association (ABA) announced today the election of eight new members to its board of directors.  Elected to serve their first term are: Rich Beck, president, North America Functional Beverages, PepsiCo; Brian Charneski, president, L & E Bottling Company, Inc.; Ralph Crowley, president/CEO, Polar Beverages; Selim Chidiac, CEO, Red Bull North America; Edwin C. Rice, chairman and CEO, Ozarks Coca-Cola/Dr Pepper Bottling Co.; and Cliff Ritchie, president and CEO, Carolina Beverage Corp.  Elected to serve a second term are George Kalil, president, Kalil Bottling Co., and Keith Reimer, president and CEO, Pepsi Bottling Ventures LLC. 

American Beverage Association members are leaders in environmental stewardship and are proud to help lead the private sector in the quest for a more sustainable future. 

At Experimental Biology 2009, Dr. Maureen Storey, senior vice president of science policy for the American Beverage Association, today briefed colleagues on her new analysis indicating that consumers of all ages are drinking more lower-calorie beverages than they did several years ago.  The data are from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) - the largest and longest-running national, publicly available source of health and nutrition data in the United States.