BOULDER, CO (February 13, 2004) – Boulder Valley School District has discovered pure refreshment.
In January of this year, The American Academy of Pediatrics released a statement declaring childhood obesity to be in direct correlation with over- consumption of sweetened soft drinks by children. The Academy delivered a clear message to pediatricians across the country – “Pediatricians should work to eliminate sweetened drinks in schools.”
The question on the minds of many parents, teachers and health officials in the United States today is, “How do we begin to change consumption habits for young people?” IZZE Sparkling Fruit Juice has become a part of the answer.
“We are excited to offer IZZE to students here in the communities of our district, as a healthy alternative to artificially sweetened soda,” said Nancy Paluh, Director of Food Services for the Boulder Valley School District. “IZZE fits perfectly as part of our ongoing commitment to provide nourishing meals and snacks to students in our district.”
IZZE Sparkling Juices are a 100% blend of fruit juice and sparkling water.
Each serving contains 70% fruit juice and 30% sparkling water, with no additional ingredients, no refined sugars or high fructose corn syrups. IZZE is simple healthy refreshment and every bottle of IZZE represents a complete serving of fruit according to the USDA food guide.
“We believe an all-natural product like IZZE has the ability to address the emerging need to offer students a healthy alternative to conventional sodas and refined sugar-filled drinks,” said Katy Fleming, Health Coordinator responsible for revamping the Boulder Valley Schools health curriculum. “IZZE is a great alternative to refined sweetened sodas, no question.”
The American Academy of Pediatrics report went on to say that “nearly 1 out of every 3 children is at risk of [becoming] overweight (defined as having a body mass index [BMI] between the 85th and 95th percentiles for age and sex), and 1 out of every 6 is overweight. A 12-oz sugared soft drink consumed daily has been associated with a 0.18-point increase in a child’s BMI and a 60% increase in risk of obesity.”
IZZE is good news for children in the Boulder Valley School District and will be available in selected schools of Boulder, Broomfield, Lafayette, Louisville, Nederland, and Superior within the next few weeks. “IZZE is such an improvement over traditional soft drinks,” said Registered Dietitian Melinda Morris, MS, RD of Boulder. “I think the aspects of simple, pure ingredients, and the vitamin content are significant positives for kids.”
IZZE is sold in natural food groceries nationwide, as well as in local groceries, delis and restaurants in 8 states, offering consumers a thoughtful choice of 5 natural flavors. IZZE has recently launched a new flavor-Sparkling Clementine-to complement its original 4 flavors: Sparkling Pear, Sparkling Lemon, Sparkling Blackberry and Sparkling Grapefruit. Soon to be launched, Sparkling Blueberry is next on IZZE’s list.
Currently, IZZE is available to the general public only in a 12-ounce bottle. Recently however, IZZE decided to make their Sparkling Juices accessible to schools with an 8-ounce can.
“We wanted to promote a smaller serving size to kids and a can was the safest and most environmentally-conscious choice for us as a sustainable company,” said Todd Woloson, President of IZZE. “Offering IZZE in a can was a big decision for IZZE, but being part of the solution to this growing problem seems well worth it. Since the beginning, we have been committed to education through our affiliation to Global Education Fund and like to get involved anyway we can.”
IZZE Beverage Company was started in Boulder, Colorado by Woloson and partner Greg Stroh in June 2002. The original concept was to have some fun while raising money and awareness for the Global Education Fund (GEF). GEF is a non-profit organization started by Woloson and his wife, Eliza, in 1996 to develop libraries for underprivileged children throughout the world.
IZZE has continued their altruistic efforts since its inception and believes strongly in giving back to the community by maintaining a strong commitment to philanthropic groups who contribute to the individual and the world as a whole. The IZZE organization believes “what’s inside matters” and its mission advocates a healthy, conscientious lifestyle, both internally and externally. The programs IZZE supports are intended to facilitate a process of discovery, and involve a select group of non-profit organizations including:
GEF, VH1 Save The Music Foundation, YouthAIDS, and The Surfrider Foundation.
Contact: Lance Gentry
lance@izze.com
303 247 0350