Article of the Week (AOW)
Due TUESDAY 5-12-15
Name _________________________________
Read and annotate the article according to the following guidelines. This requires reading the
article more than once! (3 pts. each)
a. Number the paragraphs.
b. Define the bolded vocabulary words.
c. Highlight or underline the most important facts.
d. Make comments and questions in the margins that show that you understand the article .
Powerade Drops Controversial Ingredient
Coca-Cola is dropping a controversial ingredient from its Powerade sports
drink, after a similar move by PepsiCo's Gatorade last year.
 controversial:
_________________________
The ingredient, brominated vegetable oil, had been the target of a petition by
a Mississippi teenager, who questioned why it was being used in a drink
marketed toward health-conscious athletes. The petition on Change.org noted
that the ingredient is linked to a flame retardant and is not approved for use in
Japan or the European Union.
In response to customer feedback, PepsiCo said last year it would drop the
ingredient from Gatorade. At the time, Coca-Cola declined to say whether it
would remove the ingredient from the two flavors of Powerade that contain it
as well.
But this week, bottles of Powerade in fruit punch and strawberry lemonade
flavors being sold in the Detroit, Michigan; Omaha, Nebraska, New York and
Washington, D.C. areas no longer list the ingredient. Some bottles still list it,
however, suggesting Coca-Cola Co. may have started phasing it out recently.
Reformulated:
_________________________
A representative for the Atlanta-based company confirmed Sunday that its
Powerade brands are "BVO-free." But no details were immediately available
on when the change would be complete or how the drinks were
reformulated.
Powerade's website still lists brominated vegetable oil as an ingredient for its
fruit punch and strawberry lemonade flavors. The Food and Drug
Administration says brominated vegetable oil is used as a stabilizer for
flavoring oils in fruit-flavored drinks. Coca-Cola has said in the past that it
uses it to "improve stability and prevent certain ingredients from separating."
The decision by Coca-Cola to remove brominated vegetable oil from
Powerade is just the latest evidence that food makers are coming under
pressure for the ingredients they use. While companies stand by the safety of
their products, some are making changes in response to the movement toward
foods that people believe are natural.
Earlier this year, for instance, Subway said it would remove an ingredient
dubbed the "yoga mat chemical" from its breads. The ingredient,
azodicarbonamide, is approved for use by the FDA and can be found in a wide
variety of breads. The petitioner, Vani Hari of FoodBabe.com, said she
targeted Subway because of its image for serving healthy food.
Likewise, brominated vegetable oil can also be found in several other drinks.
designed:
_________________________
 dominated:
_________________________
But the Mississippi teenager, Sarah Kavanagh, said she targeted Gatorade and
Powerade in petitions because they're designed for athletes, who are likely
more concerned about what they're putting into their bodies. Her Powerade
petition had more than 59,000 online supporters while the Gatorade one had
more than 200,000.
"Consumers are coming together quickly and efficiently to influence the
world's biggest beverage companies in an unprecedented manner," said Pulin
Modi, senior campaign manager for Change.org.
As Americans cut back on soda, sports drinks have become more important
for Coca-Cola and PepsiCo Inc., which is based in Purchase, New York.
Although Coca-Cola has long dominated rival PepsiCo on the soda front, it
lags the company in the growing sports drink category. According to the
industry tracker Beverage Digest, Gatorade has 64 percent of the sports drink
market.
DIRECTIONS: Circle the correct answer for each and cite evidence from the
article to support your answer. (8 pts. each)
1.
What company manufactures Powerade?
A. Pepsi
B. Coca-Cola
C. Gatorade
D. Mountain Dew
Evidence:
___________________________________________________
2.
Why are people protesting about BVO in Powerade?
A. It makes it taste bad.
B. It isn’t FDA approved.
C. It is linked to a chemical in flame retardants.
D. It is linked to a chemical in yoga mats.
Evidence:____________________________________________
3.
What two regions outside the U.S. do not approve of the use of
brominated vegetable oil in food products?
A. Japan and China
B. China and the European Union
C. Detroit, Michigan and Omaha, Nebraska
D. Japan and the European Union
Evidence:____________________________________________
4.
What common reason is given for Gatorade, Powerade, and
Subway all being targeted to remove chemicals from food
products?
A. Because of the image of healthy food and drinks promoted by
the companies.
B. Because athletes use the products.
C. Because of the size of the companies.
D. Because of the advertising of the products.
Evidence:____________________________________________
5.
Why would some bottles list the ingredient and others not list
the ingredient?
A. They are trying to hide the ingredient.
B. They are not planning on getting rid of the ingredient
completely.
C. They are only worried about some cities.
D. They are phasing out the ingredient gradually.
Evidence:____________________________________________
6.
Using information in the article, what is the purpose of a
petition?
A. to get a company in trouble
B. to prove someone is wrong
C. to prove your anger about a situation
D. to change a situation
Evidence:______________________________________________
DIRECTIONS: Answer each of the following using complete sentences.
Be detailed in your response, citing specific evidence from the article.
Be sure to use correct punctuation, spelling, and grammar. (10 pts.
each)
7.
Summarize the article in one detailed sentence.
Using the chart provided list three companies, the products marketed by the company, and
recent changes the company has made to its products and why, based upon the information
presented in the text.
Company
8.
9.
10.
Product
Change/Reason