We’ve covered Soda taxes before, but Philadelphia’s recently proposed sweetened drink tax puts it at the forefront of the ‘tax soda’ movement. Mayor Nutter is proposing a 2-cent per oz tax on sweetened beverages. For example a 20-oz bottle of soda would be 40 cents more and a 2-liter bottle would be $1.35 additional.

I am all for taxing unhealthy foods to help subsidize healthcare. But this appears to be a tax meant to help with the actual running of the city budget. What is to stop them from taxing any other type of food? What about a tax for every gram of fat content in a food source?

Although I am not completely against a soda/sugar tax, this does strike me as the wrong way to go about it. If this passes, expect similar ordinances to pass in other major metropolitan areas.

• 24% of California adults drink at least one soda or other sweetened beverage each day
• 41% of children between ages 2 and 11 drink at least a soda a day
• 62% of teens drink at least a soda a day
• 13% of 12-to-17-year-olds drink three or more sodas on a daily basis

These stats, from a 2005 California Health Interview Survey, show that soda consumption is widespread in the state. The survey finally found that adults who drink soda or sugary drinks daily are 27% more likely to be overweight.

(credit LA Times “Booster Shots” blog, Photo courtesy of ab4dd0n)

Obama has made some comments about a soda tax in an upcoming issue of Men’s Health. In the article, he states that “There’s no doubt that our kids drink way too much soda. And every study that’s been done about obesity shows that there is as high a correlation between increased soda consumption and obesity as just about anything else“. To counter that, he also states “people’s attitude is that they don’t necessarily want Big Brother telling them what to eat or drink, and I understand that“.

They are also calling this a “sin tax” and putting it in the same category as the cigarette taxes. It should be interesting to see how this plays out in the news media.

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Zevia is being introduced in six flavors: ZEVIA Natural Cola, ZEVIA Natural Orange, ZEVIA Natural Twist, ZEVIA Natural Root Beer, ZEVIA Natural Black Cherry and ZEVIA Natural Ginger Ale.

The ingredient used to replace sugar, stevia, is an herb native to South and Central America. Stevia’s taste has a slower onset than sugar, which may put off some Zevia drinkers. Without actually trying some, it would be hard to say.

You can get Zevia at Whole Foods or many other locations.

Glad to see some soda alternatives out there made from natural substances!

More on Zevia Soda.

Coca-Cola, in development with Bsquare, is designing a high-volume soda dispenser to replace those old-ones of the 20th century. Code named “Freestyle”, the machine can serve up to 100 flavors. How does it do this? It uses technology based on the exact doses dialysis equipment uses combined with highly condensed soda concentrate to deliver exact quantities and proportions of the ingredients that make up your soft drink.

Here is a short clip of the machine in action:

An onboard computer uses RFID to make sure the 46-ounce cartridge are loaded in the correct spots. The computer can also be used to send usage data back to Coke headquarters so that they can analyze details usage data and decide where machines need to be added or removed.

The Freestyle machines are currently being tested in Georgia, California, and Utah. Coca-Cola plans to place around 60 test machines around the United States by the end of the summer. Aren’t we lucky?

Originally seen from FastCompany.

Interesting article over at The Wichita Eagle.

“I believe soda is the next tobacco,” said Barry Popkin, director of the University of North Carolina’s Interdisciplinary Obesity Center and author of “The World Is Fat,” published this year.

Soda drinkers haven’t achieved pariah status like smokers before them, but proposed sugar taxes and social pressure to be healthy can put a damper on doing the Dew — and even some in the growing ranks of diet pop drinkers are feeling soda shame.

Although I am NOT a proponent of taxing beverages of any kind, the article does raise a good question. When consumers drink soda excessively, which leads to obesity and other health problems, and do not have health insurance coverage, can the rest of the taxpayers be expected to foot the healthcare bill? Would it be wise to target a main source of obesity and spread the tax burden over those who are consuming soda?

These are all good questions that I think, from a tax perspective, go back to whether you think the government should have a hand in healthcare and what kind of ‘distribution of wealth’ should occur.

I recently drove past the Pottstown Memorial Medical Center and saw a group of 5 or 6 staff members smoking across the street (so they could be off hospital property), looking like total outcasts. Part of me said “Good, they should quit smoking anyway and get the message” but the other part felt bad for them.

Since soda doesn’t have “second hand effects”, I do not think that soda drinkers will go the way of the tobacco smoker, but there will probably be an increasing social stigma to consumers of the sugary beverage (and the diet aspartame replacement).

A delivery truck lost some of its load of soda bottles which went all over Interstate 65 and caused a four-car accident and one reported injury. And by some, I mean 500 20-oz soda bottles!

I don’t know what I would do if I was driving at high speed and saw that scene unfolding in front of me.

Now that is a sticky situation.

Source: Courier-Journal

• Take baby steps. If you drink four sodas per day, replace two with an alternative today.
• Make alternatives slowly. Start with diet soda, then switch to flavored water.
• Once you’ve gotten comfortable with this routine, replace your other sodas with an alternative.
• Still alive? Great! Now switch those diet sodas or flavored water to plain water. Don’t like plain water? Try adding fresh fruit to them.
• Experiment with other beverages like teas, milk, soy milk, and seltzer – the goal here is to hydrate mostly with plain water.
• Don’t keep soda in the house. Make it a treat to be enjoyed now and then.

I am on the step where I have replaced soda with flavored water. Although the chemicals that make up the composition of these flavors (such as 4C “Energy Rush” drinks) doesn’t agree with me – it is a step in the right direction.

Never liked the taste of Diet Soda so I was able to skip that step!

Source: Diet Blog

What is pH?

Acidity ranges in general go from 0 to 14, with a pH of 7 being neutral. Pure water is typically considered neutral at pH 7, where tap water has been measured having a pH of 7.67, a slight base.

For more on Acids, Bases, and pH.

Here is a chart of the ph of some common household items:

The pH of soda pop

So how did soda fare in this study? As you could probably guess, not too well.

Here is a chart of the acidity levels of some common sodas:

Results of Study

The study was done by submersing teeth in soda, so although this does not show real-life drinking patterns, it does show that the longer soda is exposed to teeth, the more corrosion does occur. The authors of the study suggest drinking soda through a straw to mitigate any contact with your teeth – and that definately means no swishing. 

Finally, as you can tell, the pH of some sodas equals the pH of Vinegar! If that isn’t enough to turn your stomach, I don’t know what is!

Source: Commercial soft drinks: pH and in vitro dissolution of enamel – Jain, Nihil, Sobkowski, Agustin