If you’re a Supermarket Sampler devotee, you know how much I dislike soda. It’s just artificially flavored and colored carbonated sugar (or artificially sweetened) water. I prefer quenching my thirst with sparkling water (see Soda Club Seltzer Maker). So I was thrilled to learn about the “Global Dump Soda Campaign” spearheaded by Center for Science in the Public Interest and other national and international consumer organizations. Calling attention to the marketing of sugary soft drinks linked to worldwide childhood obesity, the coalition is taking aim at transnational giants Coca-Cola and PepsiCo and asking government officials across the globe to require the companies to cease all marketing of sugar-laden beverages to children under 16. Their goal is to get sweetened beverages out of public schools and increase the promotion of lower-sugar alternatives while calling for a new comprehensive labeling system on the outside of beverage containers to help the public become more aware of caloric content and nutritional value. For this to succeed, efforts to reform the industry must be carried out on a global basis.

Stay tuned.

And for more information about the Global Dump Soda Campaign, visit www.dumpsoda.org