Monthly Archives: July 2015

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Bottled Water: A Healthy Way To Beat The Summer Heat in New York

iStock_000015884027MediumLooking for a healthy way to stay hydrated during this hot New York summer? Healthy Vending has you covered with its array of bottled water choices. Bottled water continues to grow in New York as consumers recognize the importance of staying hydrated during the day.

 

“Consumers’ thirst for bottled water appears on track to persist in the years ahead,” says Michael Bellas, chairman and CEO of the New York City-based Beverage Marketing Corp. (BMC), which researches beverage trends. “Changes in per capita consumption indicate enthusiasm for a product that consumers regard as a healthful alternative to other beverages. Americans upped their annual bottled water consumption by almost 11 gallons during the period 2004 to 2015. It went from 23.2 gallons per person in 2004 to 34 gallons in 2014.”

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During the same period, per capita consumption of carbonated soft drinks dropped by more than a dozen gallons, Bellas notes. “Per capita consumption of other major beverage categories, like milk and fruit beverages, also declined.”
Reflecting a clear trend of consumers increasingly choosing healthy, convenient, zero-calorie bottled water, BMC reported that over the past five years alone, bottled water has increased its “share of stomach” of the overall beverage market from 14.4 percent in 2009 to 17.8 percent in 2014. “If current trends persist, bottled water could emerge as the largest beverage category by volume in the country by the end of the decade,” says Bellas.

 

Many attributes that contribute to bottled water’s undeniable appeal to U.S. consumers, says Chris Hogan, vice president of communications at the International Bottled Water Association (IBWA), based in Alexandria, Va. Among them are bottled water’s healthfulness, convenience, and safety.
Bottled water’s versatility makes it suitable for consumption at any time of day and in just about any setting. It doesn’t need to be kept ice cold (like soft drinks or juice) or warm (like conventional coffee or tea).

Smart Water
Consumers’ interest in beverages that deliver benefits above and beyond simple refreshment also contributes to bottled water’s ascension in the beverage rankings. Amid worries about obesity, diabetes, and other health matters, bottled water’s lack of calories and artificial ingredients, convenience, and refreshing taste attracts health-conscientious consumers.
Bottled water is regulated as a food product by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The FDA regulations governing the safety and quality of bottled water must be at least as stringent as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) standards for tap water. And, in some very important cases like lead, coliform bacteria, and E. coli, bottled water regulations are substantially more stringent, according to IBWA.
The bottled water industry is utilizing a variety of measures to continue reducing its environmental impact. All bottled water containers are 100 percent recyclable and many bottled water companies are already using recycled plastic in their bottles. Some are even producing 100 percent recycled PET plastic bottled water containers.

 


“Although it has occasionally been compared with tap water, bottled water in fact realized its prominence as a healthful choice for consumers seeking to reduce their consumption of other less healthy packaged beverages. While some consumers have turned away from regular, full-calorie sodas in favor of their diet versions, many others transitioned to bottled water instead,” says Bellas.
“Bottled water has the smallest water and energy use footprint of any packaged beverage,” adds Hogan. “The results of a 2014 benchmarking study show that the amount of water and energy used to produce bottled water products in North America is less than all other types of packaged beverages. On average, only 1.32 liters of water (including the liter of water consumed) and 0.24 mega joules of energy are used to produce one liter of finished bottled water.”

 
For more information about healthy snack and beverage options, contact your New York City vending partner, Healthy Vending, at 917-572-3671.

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FDA Orders Elimination Of Trans Fats From Food; What’s Taken So Long?

Why does it take the government so long to make laws to protect fda-logopublic health after scientific evidence confirms that certain types of food need to be regulated? The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) decided in June that artificial trans fat will have to disappear from the American diet. The department has given food manufacturers three years to remove the partially hydrogenated oils, or PHOs, from their products.
Healthy Vending applauds the government’s action. But the fact that it has taken the FDA so long to issue the removal of trans fats is concerning for New York consumers. It demonstrates the need for New York consumers to stay informed about food health issues.
Healthy Vending was established in 2000 on account of the high levels of fat used in many snacks. Trans fats in particular have concerned health experts who have advocated government action.
In response to these concerns, the government required food manufacturers to list trans fat content on labels in 2006.
In 2013, the FDA made a tentative determination that trans fats were no longer safe .
Clearly, it has taken a long time for the FDA to require manufacturers to remove trans fats.
Corazonas“The FDA’s actions to ultimately remove artificial trans fat from the diets of all Americans is a tremendous step forward in the fight against heart disease,” says Nancy Brown, CEO of the American Heart Association. “Eating a healthy diet is a critical element of prevention, and prevention is the key to conquering heart disease – our nation’s No. 1 killer. Taking artificial trans fat out of foods will help Americans achieve this goal and build lives free of heart disease.”
But the FDA’s recent action is only one step in protecting New York consumers’ health in relation to trans fat. As Healthy Vending is well aware, food labels do not communicate everything a consumer needs to know about trans fats.
New York consumers who check food labels for trans fats may not realize that even though the label reads, “Trans fats 0 grams per serving,” that does not necessarily mean zero, according to Ronda Elsenbrook, R.D., L.D., a registered dietitian in the Nutritional Services department at Kelsey-Seybold Clinic in Houston, Texas. Elsenbrook recently told CNN that manufacturers that produce foods containing less than 0.5 grams of trans fats can round that number down to zero. So, you might actually be getting 0.4 grams of trans fats per serving, even though the label reads 0 grams.
When we launched Healthy Vending in the greater New York City 3 Luna Barsarea in 2000, we understood that consumers want healthier snacks and beverages. There was plenty of research to prove this. Lots of school districts in and around New York City were enacting healthy food and beverage rules.
For more information about healthy snack and beverage options available to schools and your local business, contact your New York City vending partner, Healthy Vending, at 917-572-3671.