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News Release 

What's in Your Child's Drink? The Good, the Bad and the Ugly!

New website launched by concerned Mom gives the “refreshing truth” about what’s in children’s beverages

San Francisco – (September 2008) – Did you know that the same ingredients that go into your toddler’s juice box may also be used in things like watercolor paint, in fireworks to make the “whistle” sound, and in eyeliner pencils? And, that ruby red coloring that your three-year-old loves could come from a female beetle! It’s true: Gum Arabic, Sodium Benzoate, and Ester Gum all have industrial applications, and your kids might be drinking them. And, this on top of the heaping teaspoons of sugar in an average kid’s beverage!

Regardless of whether they’re out playing in the warm sun or running around making snowmen, the fact is, even the healthiest kids with the most vigilant parents will turn to soda, juice boxes or other questionable beverages to quench their thirst. When it comes to packing kids’ lunches or doling out after school snacks, parents need to make informed beverage choices. But how do moms and dads see past the hype and understand what’s in these products in order to make healthy choices? In addition to these “scary” ingredients, sugar-laden drinks can slow fluid absorption and fill small tummies with a lot of empty calories. It’s a convoluted mess of messages out there that can confuse even the savviest of parents.

To help parents wade through these mixed messages, a new web site, www.drinklesssugar.com, is dedicated to the refreshing truth about kids’ beverages. Just launched by mom and entrepreneur Roberta Greenspan , founder of Maddie’s Beverage Company and Wateroos flavored waters for kids, the site serves as a hub for information about children’s beverages, featuring easy to understand nutritional icons and product facts, updates from local and national government and health organizations about children’s nutrition, and general commentary surrounding drinks for kids. 

“I’m fairly savvy on these issues since it’s my business, but it would be wildly confusing for a regular parent trying to make decisions about what is and isn’t healthy or ‘natural,’” says Greenspan. “Our goal is to address these kinds of issues at www.drinklesssugar.com in an objective way so we can help parents make sense of it all.” 

Greenspan hopes the site will serve as an eye-opener for parents by providing the information they need to make more educated beverage choices for their children. 

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For more information, please contact:
Marina McLachlan, Essenza Communications
Phone: 303-803-5711
E-mail: marina@essenzacomm.com