Coca-Cola Enterprises Inc. said it plans to cut its calories per
liter 10% by 2020 as consumers continue a shift toward more healthy
beverage options.
The world's largest independent Coca-Cola bottler, which bottles
Coca-Cola Co. products for countries including Great Britain,
Belgium, France and the Netherlands, said the move was a reaction
to growing concerns about obesity.
The new goals are influenced by strong stakeholder feedback,
said the company's director of corporate responsibility, Joe
Franses. The company also plans to halve its carbon footprint by
2020, having already reduced its by 29%, in absolute terms, since
2007.
Sales of soft drinks have been falling for years as consumers
scale back amid concerns about health. Soda consumption in the U.S.
slid 1% in 2014 to 12.76 billion gallons, the 10th straight yearly
decline, according to a March report by industry tracker Beverage
Marketing Corp.
Shares of Coca-Cola Enterprises, inactive premarket, have been
down about 3% this year through Monday's close.
Write to Angela Chen at angela.chen@dowjones.com
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