Nine-tenths Of An Ounce Stands Between Me and My Tea

One sip. That's all. Just one sip. But, how can one sip less mean more? Last week, NYC Mayor, Michael Bloomberg, got a big win in his "fight" against obesity. That win came in the form of a resolution (read it here) passed by his Board of Health. A board which he appointed and a board which yields an unprecedented amount of autonomous regulatory authority. Their own Charter states their ambiguous power grab: 

Section 556 of the Charter provides the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene 
(“Department”) with jurisdiction to regulate all matters affecting health in the City of New York.

• Section 556(c)(2) empowers the Department to supervise the control of chronic disease;
• Section 556(c)(9) empowers the Department to supervise and regulate the food supply.
• Section 558(b) and (c) of the Charter empower the Board of Health to amend the Health Code and to include in it all matters to which the Department’s authority extends.
• Section 1043 of the Charter grants the Department rulemaking (sic) powers. 

Photo appeared online @  http://blogs.tribune.com.pk 

Allow me to explain how ridiculous the misguided NYC BOH resolution is; Simply stated, I can no longer enjoy my favorite tea which contains only 70 calories, because it comes in a 16.9 oz bottle, but, I can still purchase my favorite soda which contains 200 calories because it comes in a 16 oz bottle... one sip less. 

The short-sided, narrow-minded "ruling" of the appointed NYC Board of Health does nothing to address the obesity epidemic but certainly means I can still drink a 200 calorie soda with my meal. Like most other intrusive, far-reaching over-regulation, this resolution is born from the liberal mindset of government can cure all ills, including obesity. If this was gold, we'd be talking nearly $1700 worth, but it's tea, something apparently far more valuable in the time and money spent by the city to fight.

Do you think Bloomberg's BOH did the Math on my caloric intake if I opt for the full-calorie soda? That choice will result in a net increase of 130 calories. That equation does not appear to result in helping many people curb obesity. I believe we call that fuzzy Math.

Mayor Bloomberg and his BOH feel they are doing the public's work for the good of all, because they think they know better than you. When public officials feel they know better than us, they will stop at nothing to complete their mission. To them, the ends justify the means. Except, in this case, the "end" may very well be the opposite of what they intended. 

Review: Au Naturel by Jones Soda

Jones Soda, Seattle, WA, announced at Expo West in March, that they were launching their new sparkling soda, Au Naturel. The name lends itself to the fact the ingredients are all-natural. Jones Soda CEO Bill Meissner says the creation was the result of a challenge to the soda industry issued by The Harvard School of Public Health. The challenge, says Meissner, was to create a drink with specific nutritional guidelines, specifically, no more than one gram of sugar per ounce of beverage as well as having 70% fewer calories versus Coke and Pepsi. "We took that seriously and wanted to be the first to meet it in a sparkling format, and we then upped the ante by making it all natural."

There are three flavors in the new lineup; Orange You Glad It's Mango, Lemon Limelight and Green Apple A Day. Among the ingredients in Au Naturel are the usual suspects of carbonated water, cane sugar, and green tea extract. Among the not so common ingredients are stevia, a natural product that's a gazillion times sweeter than sugar, and organic agave syrup. The agave syrup is used to tone down the licorice bitterness of the stevia.

The flavors are relatively palatable, considering the simplicity of the ingredients. My favorite was the Orange You Glad It's Mango. Its' initial sweetness quickly dissipates which leaves you with a mellow background flavor of orange which lingers a bit. The Green Apple and Lemon Lime are less sweet and not as notable. The carbonation of the soda is just about the right amount and adds a dry taste, which I prefer. Each flavor boasts 35 calories, 7 grams of sugar and a surprising 5 grams of dietary fiber per 16.9oz bottle.

Photo by @DrinkPro

The bottle is a sharp looking PET that has dimples near the top and bottom. The bottle is wrapped about 85% around with a pressure sensitive label, that leaves a small gap which allows you to see through the bottle to the inside of the label, which bares pictures of either oranges, lemons and limes or green apples, depending on which flavor you have.

You'll, undoubtedly, see the Jones name and will be familiar with the concept of using consumer submitted photos on their labels. However, the entire label itself leaves a bit to be desired in the "captain obvious" department. Even with the catchy name-play, you have to search around to actually discover what the flavor is and look even harder to find the words "sparkling soda" anywhere on the label. Trust me, it's somewhere. There's just a lot of action going on with that label which makes it look very busy. In addition to their trademark photo concept, Jones continues the practice of slogans under the caps. No word on whether these caps will be accepted for their Caps for Gear promotion.

I'm not sure how serious Jones is about this brand. The product is rumored to retail at $1.79, but, it has yet to be found in stores. And Au Naturel is not prominently displayed on their website, in fact, you have to click on their Product Locator to even see it mentioned, and even then, there are no results returned. If you do a Google search for "au naturel" without including the word "jones", you have to scroll all the way to page five in order to find it. Search Engine Optimization must improve if Jones wants Au Naturel to become a player rather than be merely seen as a project or experiment.

While the product has some quality points, there is definitely some room for enhancement for entry into what is an already crowded sparkling category. As always, time will tell.

This blog is the opinion of the author. None of the companies mentioned here have any affiliation with this blog, nor do they endorse its contents...but they should. From time to time, @DrinkPro will receive promotional product from suppliers for the purpose of review. Gregg W Shore is a 23 year beverage veteran who writes his blog @DrinkPro, A View of the Beverage Industry, from the Inside Out. Connect on LinkedIn and follow on Twitter @DrinkPro

We're Too Stupid, NYC Knows Best

As is the case with most over-regulation, the proposed Soft Drink Size Ban in NYC is far-reaching and not logically thought through. The list of unintended consequences grows as more and more businesses find out how badly they will be affected by the ban.

For consumers, the ban ultimately means the city of New York has the final say on how much soda you can purchase in a single container throughout the city at places such as hot dog carts, theaters, restaurants and stadiums. The law says no more than 16 oz is to be sold per container. So, if you want a 20 oz PET from the Nathan's Hot Dog guy, you have to cross the river to get it. The ban won't affect diet sodas, fruit juices, dairy or alcohol based drinks. Also, it wont affect c-store purchases, for now. But, that could change as the city gets more and more involved in raising us like the irresponsible children we are. Thank God for NYC.

NYC Mayor Bloomberg (photo foxnews.com)

NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg is quoted as saying he "thinks it's what the public wants the mayor to do." Really, Mr. Mayor? You actually think people are that stupid? Oh, what's that, they are? "Sodas are really unhealthy and I don't see any reason you need to drink 20 ounces of soda." O.k. everyone, that wasn't the mayor, that was John Q Public agreeing with Bloomberg in an interview on Fox NYC. But, for every person in NYC that agrees with these two morons, I can find a thousand more who don't.

This proposed ban is so ridiculous, I would laugh if it didn't have such a great chance at going into effect. Bloomberg's own appointees at the NYC Department of Health are the one's who will vote to move the measure to reality. 

New York is a typical city where pompous zealots in power think they know what's better for you than you do. And they're going to make the decision for you by passing a law. There was once a time when the city installed cross walks to help you get across the street. But then the bureaucrats decided to give the police the power to fine you for not using them. It never ends. Restaurants can't use salt or trans-fat and they have to list the calories on the menu. You can't smoke inside a public building, or outside in a city park. You can't carry a hand gun in the city for self-defense and you get charged an extra fee (tax) on bottles and cans just in case they don't get recycled. With the proposed size ban on soft drinks, say you want to go to the Knicks game and you want to buy the 32 oz souvenir cup for $9.95. They could sell it to you, but would only be allowed to fill it with 16 oz of soda or face a $200 fine. Wasn't there a moron quoted as saying he doesn't see any reason you need 20 oz of soda. Well, here's a reason, you freaking idiot!

Why infringe on my right to drink what I want? It's not soda's fault people are obese. That reminds me of a cliche; If guns kill people, then pencils misspell words, cars drive drunk, and spoons make people fat. Of course, in NYC, that may very well be the case. But, if you really want that 20 oz Mountain Dew, Vito Marsala knows a guy who knows a guy who has a cousin who knows a guy in NJ that sells them out of his trunk for $5. But, fuggedaboutit! You didn't hear from me.