With the possible introduction of a new soda-vending program, students might find it easier to compare calories of beverages.
American beverage companies recently announced that the Calories Count Vending Program will provide calorie information on vending machines, according to an American Beverage Association news release.
The initiative will first launch in municipal buildings in Chicago, Ill., and San Antonio, Texas, beginning in 2013 and then will be made available to vending customers nationwide.
“We’re hopeful that we can take this beyond Chicago and San Antonio and bring it to other places,” said Christopher Gindlesperger, senior director of public affairs for the American Beverage Association. “Looking into academic settings is a possibility.”
The Calories Count Vending Program plans to encourage lower-calorie beverage choices by increasing availability of lower-calorie beverages in vending machines and by adding calorie labels to selection buttons on the vending machines, according to the news release.
Gindlesperger said the program would not expand to colleges such as Ohio University until sometime after 2013 because of third-party contracts.
“It’s kind of a complex structure the way these agreements are put together,” he said. “Typically there is a third party involved which controls the vending machines as well as the person who provides the product.”
Currently, OU has a contract with Pepsi-Cola Bottling Company of Athens, a division of G&J Pepsi-Cola Bottlers Inc., for 10 years. The contract expires June 30, 2022.
David Holben, a nutrition professor at OU, said that the new program could change consumers’ behavior.
“I think it is important that consumers be aware of the calories and nutrients in the food and drinks they are buying,” Holben said. “If they provided that information on a vending machine they may make a different choice because of that valuable information.”
Vanessa Vest, a freshman studying exercise physiology, said she thought the program was a good idea.
“People will be more inclined to make a healthier decision and it would make it easier for them to do so,” Vest said.
bc822010@ohiou.edu
