Diet drinks in, full sugar drinks out of schools

PETER MEECHAM/Stuff.co.nz

TREAD SOFTLY: Only diet and low sugar drinks will be supplied to New Zealand schools from now on.

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From tomorrow the two soft drink giants will supply only diet and low sugar drinks to schools around New Zealand.

In 2006 Frucor Beverages Group, which makes Pepsi, and Coca-cola Amatil made a voluntary agreement with the government to stop directly supplying full sugar drinks to schools by December 11.

Coca-Cola Amatil managing director George Adams said in a statement today: "We've worked hard to uphold our part of the agreement and we no longer directly supply any schools with full sugar carbonated or energy drinks."

Frucor chief executive Carl Bergstrom said the two companies would continue to provide schools with a wide range of sugar-free or low sugar soft drinks, fruit juices and flavoured waters.

However, the companies noted they only had control over what they supplied direct to schools and the schools themselves could choose what suppliers and products they used.

- NZPA