AMSTERDAM: Coca Cola Enterprises, which bottles Coke for European countries like the UK, France, Netherlands and Belgium, has announced that it plans to cut calories across its full portfolio by 10% in the six years to 2020. The move comes as the soft drinks industry remains under enormous pressure to take some responsibility for the gorwing global obesity crisis, which is in part attributed to the consumption of sugar-sweetened soft drinks.
Hubert Patricot, European President of Coca Cola Enterprises, told FoodIngredientsFirst: “Obesity is a serious and complex issue, and an important one for our business. We must ensure that we grow our business responsibly and sustainably, and we will work with our consumers and civil society to ensure we address the issue of obesity together. We will continue to offer our consumers choice – among low-, mid- or no-sugar products and a range of pack sizes – and we are always exploring opportunities to expand the portfolio of products that we offer. We will also continue to collaborate with The Coca-Cola Company to use innovative sweeteners to create further choice for consumers. I am confident that these steps will help the people who buy our products make the right choices for themselves and their families.”
The news came as part of the company’s 10th Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability Report, in which it also announced an ambitious plan to halve the company’s carbon footprint by 2020.
The company has pledged to ensure that 40% of the PET it uses is recycled PET or from renewable materials and supporting the skills development and learning needs of 250,000 young people every year. The bold calorie reduction target represents a significant leadership position for the soft drinks industry amid growing concerns about calorie intake and obesity. CCE has also committed to encouraging people to be physically active, targeting three million people across its territories by 2020.
