EXCLUSIVE BEVERAGE ARRANGEMENTS IN U.S. AND CANADIAN SCHOOLS: A REVIEW OF PRACTICES AND POLICY PERSPECTIVES

Abstract

Trends in beverage consumption among school children show that soft drinks are replacing nutritious beverages like milk and 100% fruit juices. This has a potential negative implication for their future health. Initiatives to establish healthy food and beverage programs in schools are failing because of lucrative “exclusive beverage” or “pouring rights” contracts. While the provision of healthy beverages are deemed costly, some school boards seem more interested in the funds available from soft drink sales and the benefits of additional resources. In the United States and Canada, some politicians and school administrators who oppose this viewpoint are committing to encourage healthy choices by banning the sale of foods of minimal nutritional value. Others continue to mount strong challenges to protect this valuable revenue. The issue of increasing soft drink commercialization centers on exclusive arrangements that provide funds for resources. But using schools as a marketplace for developing consumer loyalty compromises the schools’ mission and ethical provision of a healthy learning environment. The trade-off is whether profits that schools make on soft drink sales are worth the possible dangers that these products pose to students’ health.