Izze® Sparkling Juice Makes a Splash at San Jose Schools

by Greg Courville

(Image courtesy of Izze Beverage Company)

Leland students can thank California Senate Bill 19 for the recent introduction of a number of dramatic improvements to the quality and selection of food items available for purchase on campus. One such improvement is the debut at the lunch counters of a fantastic product called Izze® Sparkling Fruit Juice, which, as of the recent abolishment of sugar-rich Pepsico® beverage products, is now the only remaining “soda” beverage to be offered. For those unfamiliar with this particular product, Izze® Sparkling Fruit Juice consists of concentrated fruit juice which has been mixed with water, naturally sweetened, naturally flavored, naturally colored, then carbonated and packaged (naturally, no doubt) in an attractive miniaturized beverage can, thus staying "True to the fruit&trade". Flavor selections range from Sparkling Apple to Sparkling Pomegranate, with a total of eight delicious flavors to choose from, all of which are highly nutritious and contain less than 92% of the caloric content per serving of a typical cola beverage. Moreover, because Izze® Sparkling Fruit Juice is sold in portion-controlled 8-ounce cans, students are encouraged to drink less, which results in a less frequent need to urinate, allowing the educational process to proceed with fewer interruptions. Thus, there is no question that Izze® Sparkling Fruit Juice is a step in the right direction not only for child nutrition, but for education as a whole.

The abolition of unhealthy items from school lunch menus, and their subsequent replacement with healthier and more profitable selections, is representative of a notable paradigm shift in student nutrition for educational institutions across the country, underscoring the importance of a healthy diet for healthy development throughout childhood and adolescence and into adulthood. However, with any such movement comes a great deal of controversy and uncertainty – take, for example, the rise of the Taliban.

Thus, understandably, a number of students are upset about this abrupt change. “I am upset about this abrupt change,” said senior Watashitachiwa Bakadesuyo, ’07, who declined to comment further. The school district board, however, maintains that the upgrades to the nutritional program are in the best interest of both the district and its students:
“Thank you for calling the main office of the San Jose Unified School District,” said an SJUSD representative during a recent telephone interview. “We are open Monday through Friday, from eight AM to five PM... Please call again during normal business hours.” Asked to elaborate on the matter, however, the representative abruptly hung up, and further contact attempts were unsuccessful.

Nevertheless, it is clear that, despite objections by students, parents and administrators, California Senate Bill 19 is working to make the pursuit of quality education more fruitful than ever before.--

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This article was written for the September issue of the Charger Account, but was not published, due to certain content which was considered by some to be offensive. (Click for other articles).