This is the Dark Side of the Soda Industry

Last Updated on January 7, 2021

A few years ago, former NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg was planning to prevent movie-theater concession stands, sports stadiums, delis, food carts, and restaurants from selling soft drinks in large cups (above 16 ounces) but his plan was rejected by the NY State Court of Appeals.

Before overturning the ban, Scott DeFife from the National Restaurant Association said that the ban doesn’t have much practical sense, as people would still order huge pitchers of cocktails at Brother Jimmy BBQ, for example, or simply buy multiple smaller cups. After all, most of us aren’t familiar with small cups.

#8 – Our Deep Pockets Will Turn Down the Soda Tax

When new federal taxes on sugary drinks (including soda) emerge, so does the lobbying spending of soda manufacturers, according to experts. Legislatures in multiple US states and cities considered soda tax, but the majority of those were denied and lobbying spending has diminished ever since.

In fact, in 2011, the amount of cash spent by the American Beverage Association, PepsiCo, and Coca-cola decreased to $10 million. Our lobbying efforts go to other problems, such as transportation, nutrition, tax, and agriculture, said the soft-drink industry.

The American Beverage Association argued that advocating on behalf of consumers about discriminatory proposals such as bans and taxes is important, while both Coca-cola and PepsiCo refused to comment.

#9 – Our Charitable Donations End up in Odd Places!

Soda companies donate to charitable causes that may be critical of the soda industry, as stated the Center for Science in the Public Interest, adding that the donations to both Food Research and Action and Feeding America raise questions about the solid ties between those anti-hunger groups and beverage companies.

Some public-health advocates believe that such ties between nonprofits and corporations can promote conflict of interest. Indeed, the CSPI’s Jacobson says these two groups support the soda industry’s opposition to regulations that ban the use of food stamps to buy sugary beverages.

On the other hand, critics wonder would these organizations still support the use of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits to buy soda if there were getting zero donations from the soft-drink industry.