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New Hampshire bill targets soda on children's restaurant menus

CONCORD, N.H. — CONCORD, N.H. (AP) - New Hampshire restaurants would no longer be allowed to offer soda as a beverage choice for children's meals under a bill before a state House committee.

The bill would apply to restaurants that serve children's meals that include food and a beverage for one price. Such meals would only be allowed to include milk, 100 percent juice or juice combined with water, plain water or flavored water with no sweeteners.

A report released in July by the Center for Science in the Public Interest found that restaurants are increasingly taking that approach on their own. The availability of soda and other sugary drinks included in children's meals decreased from 93 percent of the top chains with such menus in 2008 to 74 percent in 2016.