February 14/Washington/Health & Beauty Close-Up -- Sunny Delight Beverages Co. (SDBC) said the company has successfully reduced calories across its entire product portfolio by 46%, while maintaining the same great taste that consumers love.

In a release, the company said that it will display calorie numbers on all front of pack labeling; SDBC is one of the first to comply with the American Beverage Association's new voluntary "Clear on Calories" program in support of First Lady Michelle Obama's "Let's Move" anti-obesity campaign.

"Since 1964, Sunny Delight Beverages Co. has been committed to setting and meeting aggressive goals to improve our products in terms of nutrition, cost and taste," said Billy Cyr, president and CEO. "This is another example of how we're constantly improving our products for our loyal customers."

SDBC said that this 46% calorie reduction was achieved in just four years, three years in advance of the company's original target date of 2015. This represents a reduction of 131 billion calories per year and will take 37 million pounds of potential weight gain out of the American diet annually.

In 2007, SDBC established a plan to decrease the calories of the company's beverages from an average of 92 calories per eight-fluid ounce serving to an average of 50 calories per serving. Calorie reductions have been achieved by a number of changes including:
-Reducing Sunny D Tangy Original from 90 to 60 calories per serving;
-Decreasing Sunny D Smooth's calories from 90 to 60 calories per serving;
-Reformulating the Veryfine Fruit Punch to 60 calories per serving; and
-Reducing Fruit 2O to 0 calories per serving.

From the February 15, 2011, Prepared Foods' Daily News
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