But the soda companies aren't looking for immediate profits, says Andrew Hagelshaw, executive director of the Center for Commercial-Free Public Education. Soda manufacturers claim they just add caffeine to soda to enhance flavor. A new Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine taste study , however, supports the notion that caffeine is added to soda to addict drinkers. Only 8 percent of regular cola consumers detected a flavor difference at the caffeine concentration found in popular colas, the study found. Soda companies are just being helpful neighbors, he insists.
Few educators seem concerned.
None of 20 school administrators, school board members, school nutritionists and school nurses interviewed for this story had heard about the new Harvard study. San Francisco's school district banned exclusive contracts for soda and junk food in 1999, but few areas have followed their example. California is the only state with even this mild requirement. But in general, school administrators say parents rarely complain about soda on campus. Many serve it at home.