* There were 5,000 soft drink bottlers in business in 1920. Today, there
are only 500.
* A story being widely circulated on the Internet links Aspartame -- a key
ingredient in some diet soft drinks -- to multiple sclerosis and lupus.
((((PS to Michael Jacobson - I thought you'd be interested in the Aspartame
tidbit though I'm sure you've seen that. Where does CSPI stand on that.
NSDA claims it is "inaccurate". I wonder if "inaccurate" is the same as
"false".))))
Here are a few Soft Drink Facts:
THE INDUSTRY
In 1997, the retail sale of soft drinks totaled Over $54 billion.
In 1997, Americans consumed more than 54 gallons of soft drinks per
person per year, a total of more than 14 billion gallons.
Soft drinks account for more than 27 percent of Americans' beverage
consumption.
Ninety-five percent of Americans regularly consume soft drinks.
The soft drink industry contributes more than $95 million to
charities in thousands of communities across the
country every year.
PRODUCTION
Approximately 500 bottlers operate across the United States.
Modern bottling plants can produce more than 2,000 soft drinks per
minute on each line of operation.
The soft drink industry uses more than 12 billion gallons of water
in soft drinks every year.
FOR MORE INFORMATION (AND PLENTY OF MISINFORMATION) CHECK OUT NSDA'S WEBSITE
-- JUST TYPE IN NATIONAL SOFT DRINK ASSOCIATION