Pepsi Ends School Soda Sales
NEW YORK (
) --
PepsiCo
(PEP) - Get Report
plans to stop selling full-sugar soft drinks to primary and secondary schools worldwide by 2012.
PepsiCo said it drew up details of the plan following talks with the World Heart Federation in Geneva.
The company, however, will still sell "low-calorie beverages" to schools, including fruit drinks, juices, and sports drinks such as Gatorade.
PepsiCo had already quit selling soda at U.S. elementary schools in 2006, along with rival
Coca-Cola
(KO) - Get Report
.
According to the
Associated Press,
Coke said that school administrators "should have the right to choose what is best for their schools" after being asked whether it would extend its policy to secondary schools.
Full-calorie soft drinks sales plummeted 95% at U.S. schools between fall 2004 and fall 2009, as the beverage industry continues to replace sugary drinks with lower-calorie ones in the U.S., according to
AP.
PepsiCo stock has risen 0.3% to $66.30 late morning Wednesday, while its rival Coke is flat at $53.70.
-- Reported by Andrea Tse in New York
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