The Coca-Cola Company said last week that it would take some of the fizz out of the way it sells sodas in schools. Coke will add fruit juices and milk to the 100,000 vending machines it has in schools around the country. The company will also cut back on promoting its sugary stuff to kids by taking the big red Coke logos off the machines. The Pepsi-Cola Company is working on a similar plan.
Teachers, parents and government agencies, concerned about the amount of sugar kids are consuming, have criticized the sale of soft drinks in schools. Last month the U.S. Department of Agriculture asked Congress for the authority to set nutrition standards for snacks sold in schools. Senator Patrick Leahy, who supports the idea, says kids are getting too many "empty calories at lunchtime."