The former First Lady is leading Plezi Nutrition, a healthy food and drink company. Obama will co-found and advise Plezi.
I've learnt that you can't influence the game from the outside on this problem. "You've got to get inside—you've got to find ways to change the food and beverage industry itself," Obama remarked on Wednesday.
“I’m proud of announcing the national launch of a company designed not just to offer better products, but to jumpstart an effort to the top that will alter the entire food industry.”
Plezi's first product will be low-sugar, nutrient-dense fruit-juice blend kids' drinks.
Plezi, the company's initial product, is meant to replace sugary drinks like soda and juice and foster healthy behaviors among kids. It targets 6–12-year-olds who struggle to swallow milk or water.
The company will have to do that with a product that tastes good and is actually one children will want to consume, particularly since they are used to offerings loaded with sugar.
Michelle Obama isn't the first to capitalize on healthy food and drinks. Coca-Cola has acknowledged its gradual shift away from sugary drinks.
Harvard researchers found that 61% of young people now drink at least one sugar-sweetened beverage everyday, down from 80%.
Most pubs and McDonald's serve Coke, but young Americans are drinking less soda. In 2017, Coca-Cola acquired sparkling mineral water startup Top Chico for $220 million.
The brand is expanding its flavored sugar-free beverage selection and hopes to become a $1 billion brand like Diet Coke or Dasani.
In the early 2000s, McDonald's sold apple slices instead of french fries. After offering apples, other providers saw an increase in school demand for healthier public K-12 school options.