Forbes.com, 21/2/2008

The American Beverage Association spent about $684,616 last year to lobby on childhood nutrition issues.

The trade group spent about $486,915 in the second half of 2007 to lobby Congress, according to a disclosure for posted online Feb. 14 by the Senate's public records office. It lobbied on developing new nutritional standards for school food programs.

The American Beverage Association spent about $198,000 during the first six months of 2007 to lobby on similar issues and legislation that create a task force on childhood obesity and redefine foods that have minimal nutritional value.

Members of the trade group's board of directors work for companies such as Coca-Cola (nyse: KO - news - people ), Pepsi (nyse: PEP - news - people ), Cadbury Schweppes (nyse: CSG - news - people ) and Nestle (other-otc: NSRGY.PK - news - people ).

Lobbyists are required to disclose activities that could influence members of the executive and legislative branches, under a federal law enacted in 1995.