Canadian soft drink manufacturers will follow the lead of the U.S. by displaying the calorie count of beverages on the front of containers.

The announcement was made Tuesday in Vancouver by Justin Sherwood, president of Refreshments Canada, an association of soft drink manufacturers.

“It’s about giving Canadians information so they can make healthy, informed choices,” said Sherwood, whose members — including Coca-Cola Refreshments Canada, PepsiCo Beverages Canada and Canada Dry Mott’s — account for the majority of soft drinks sold in Canada.

The Clear on Calories campaign will result in an easy-to-read label on the front of a can or bottle.

At present, this information is carried on the back of containers in small print.

Sherwood said the new labels will begin appearing in May.

In addition, company-controlled vending machines and drink fountain dispensers will feature a button with calorie counts, or have the information in proximity.

The initiative was the result of U.S. first lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! campaign to reduce obesity, which was launched Feb. 9, 2010. Asked why it took the Canadian industry so long to implement, Sherwood said manufacturers faced difficulties when dealing with Canadian labelling regulations.

B.C. Health Minister Colin Hansen, who was on hand for the announcement, applauded the industry for taking the step on its own.

“The new industry-led commitment supports our efforts in B.C. to help British Columbians make the informed choice the easy choice while it shows how companies and governments can work together to benefit all Canadians,” said Hansen.

It was significant that the industry chose to announce the initiative in B.C. where, he said, people smoke less than in other provinces and are more physically active.

A study published two years ago by the Centre for Childhood Obesity Research at Penn State University showed that sweetened drinks can wreak havoc with weight.

The study was based on examining the intake of all beverages including soft drinks, milk and fruit juice on 170 girls over a 10-year period from the ages of five to 15.

It found that girls who drank sweetened beverages at age five had a higher average weight and body fat percentage throughout the entire course of the study.

The B.C. government introduced a school and food beverage guide in 2005 — a move that eliminated some of the junk food and beverages sold in vending machines at schools.

Sherwood said Clear on Calories “builds on the industry guidelines for the sale of beverages which removed full-calorie soft drinks from schools.”

However, Kathy Romses, a registered dietitian who works with B.C. schools to educate youth about nutrition, expressed concern about the new labels, saying they may be confusing because containers greater than 750 ml will be labelled per 500 ml serving size.

“That to me is confusing for the consumer. If it is meant to be a single beverage container they should be using the information for that beverage on the front of that package,” she said.

“Consumers aren’t looking at that serving size and that is a critical piece of information.”

She’s also concerned that just labelling calories on the front could deflect consumers from reading the ingredient list or the nutrition label on the back of the product.

“The nutrition table does include a mandatory 13 nutrients of concern so I’m hoping that [consumers] won’t just look at the calories because really we are trying to get more nutrients into people.”

In the U.S., Obama launched her Let’s Move! campaign as part of a push against childhood obesity, which affects around one in three American children.

The campaign’s initiatives include encouraging physical activity, educating about nutrition and ensuring children have access to healthy food in their schools.

“One year later, Let’s Move! is far more than just a campaign,” said Michelle Obama in a press statement from the White House. “It is so much more than just a slogan. It’s a nationwide movement to give our kids everything they need — all the energy, strength and opportunities they need to fulfil every last bit of their potential and achieve every last one of their dreams.”

“ ... It’s a conversation about what our kids eat and how active they are. About how they feel and how they feel about themselves. And about what that means, not just their physical and emotional health, but for their success in school and in life.”

gbellett@vancouversun.com

With a file from Tiffany Crawford