5 things: Study: Sugary beverage warning labels cut consumption

Each Friday I compile a list that highlights five things you probably missed in the news that week and why you should care about them.

Here’s your list for the week of June 18:

1. Sugary beverage warning labels cut consumption

A new study has found that graphic warning labels about the effects of drinking sugary beverages (i.e., obesity, diabetes and tooth decay) may help reduce purchases of those beverages. The study was conducted in a hospital cafeteria, and found that the warning labels reduced sugary beverage purchases by nearly 15 percent. Text warning labels and calorie labels, in contract, had no effect. The three methods (graphic warning labels, text labels and calorie counts) were posted near where those beverages were sold in a hospital in Massachusetts. Researchers found that when consumers opted out of sugary beverages, they substituted them with bottled water.

Read more: Graphic warning labels may reduce sugary drink purchases

2. Sodexo, Humane Society partner up

Foodservice management giant Sodexo has teamed up with the Humane Society to offer the contractor’s clients more than 200 plant-based recipes for use in their locations. The Humane Society also said that its culinary experts would be available to host training sessions with Sodexo chefs. One of the fruits of the partnership’s labor has been Y Mas, a branded Mexican-themed concept that offers dishes like garlic roasted cauliflower burritos.

Read more: More meatless meals coming to a dining facility near you, with new HSUS-Sodexo partnership

3. Bill would help address college food insecurity

A lot has been written about college students and food insecurity recently. While the reasons for this are wide and complex, many colleges are looking at ways to help. A new bill introduced last week in Congress would assist those efforts. The Campus Hunger Reduction Act of 2018 would make colleges and universities eligible for the Community Food Project grant program through the USDA. That program helps institutions with food distribution and outreach to help alleviate hunger issues.

Read more: Rep. Chu Introduces Bipartisan Bill to Address College Hunger

4. Group donates funds for families to dine in hospital café
When a child is in the hospital, getting a meal is often the last thing on parents’ minds. And if you can’t afford to buy a meal, it makes it even tougher to get the nutrition you need. Knowing those things, the South Dakota Farm Bureau’s Women’s Leadership Team donated $1,750 to the Rapid City Regional Hospital Foundation. The funds will be used to help families with pediatric patients in the hospital to get meals in the hospital’s café.

Read more: Sharing good food with families in the hospital

5. Parents upset after students denied participation due to unpaid meal accounts
In the latest in “meal shaming,” parents of a New Jersey school are upset that their students have been denied participation in extracurricular activities like field day and an end-of-year concert because they have unpaid meal account balances. The district says it has $55,000 in unpaid meal accounts.

Read more: Kids banned from field day if they owe lunch money. School says there's a $55,000 tab

Bonus: The trends women foodservice leaders say you need to know

Contact Becky Schilling at [email protected].
Follow her on Twitter: @bschilling_FM