Bringing Science to Policy

The University of California Research Consortium on Food, Beverages and Health, formed in 2018, aims to provide legislators and communities with the science base for policy and programs to decrease consumption of sugary drinks and increase consumption of water. The group includes faculty from every UC campus. The Consortium is driven by the evidence-based recognition that sugary drinks are the largest single source of the added sugars that are a leading risk factor for type 2 diabetes, obesity, coronary heart disease, dental decay and other conditions, that these conditions disproportionately harm low-income people and communities of color, and, in addition, that sugary drink production exacts a heavy environmental toll.

Resources

• Factsheet: How Four Cities in California Are Using Sugary Drink Tax Revenues. University of California Research Consortium on Beverages and Health. American Heart Association. November 2022.
• Factsheet: What Are Sugary Drinks? University of California Research Consortium on Beverages and Health. American Heart Association. November 2022.
• Factsheet: Health Harms of Sugary Drinks. University of California Research Consortium on Beverages and Health. American Heart Association. November 2022.
• Factsheet: 7 Reasons to Skip Sugary Drinks. University of California Research Consortium on Beverages and Health. American Heart Association. November 2022.
• Factsheet: The Heavy Environmental Impact of Sugary Drinks. University of California Research Consortium on Beverages and Health. American Heart Association. November 2022.
• Factsheet: Sugary Drinks and COVID. University of California Research Consortium on Beverages and Health. American Heart Association. November 2022.
• Factsheet: University Beverage Pouring Rights Contracts – And Alternatives. University of California Research Consortium on Beverages and Health. July 2023.
• Interactive Table: Policy Strategies to Reduce Consumption of Sugary Drinks (U.S. – Proposed and Enacted). University of California Research Consortium on Beverages and Health. July 2023; Last updated, Nov. 2025. [Provided as a view-only Google document.]  If you have additions to offer please email ceahecht@ucanr.edu.
• Factsheet: Sugary Drinks: A Double Whammy for Teeth. University of California Research Consortium on Beverages and Health. October 2024.

Best of Science Letters

Child Nutrition Reauthorization 2022

• Added Sugars - Request to Congress to direct the USDA to develop and implement an explicit standard that limits added sugars in the federal child nutrition program meals and snacks and for competitive foods. 7 March 2022. [Letter]

Public Comment

Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025-2030

• Comments to the US Department of Healthy and Human Services and USDA that the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025-2030  recommend plain drinking water as the primary beverage to consume and that the USDA take steps to add a symbol for water to the MyPlate nutritional guidance graphic. (2/7/25)
• Comments to the US Department of Health and Human Services and USDA regarding scientific questions related to sugar-sweetened beverages and drinking water to be examined to support the development of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025-2030. Comments on Added Sugars (5/16/22)

Food and Drug Administration

• Comments to the FDA, USDA and HHS on a definition for Ultra-Processed Foods (10/17/25)
• Comments on the US Food and Drug Administration proposed front-of-package nutrition information (7/14/25)
• Comments to the US Food and Drug Administration, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition on strategies to reduce added sugars consumption in the United States (1/22/24)

School Meal Programs

• Comments to the US Department of Agriculture regarding proposed added sugars limits in the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program (5/8/23)

UCRC Core Members

For more information about UCRC, contact: ceahecht@ucanr.edu

Related UC-curated Websites

• National Drinking Water Alliance
• Sugar Science