PepsiCo spent $3.6 million in first quarter lobbying government on taxes, childhood obesity

PepsiCo spent $3.6 million lobbying gov’t in 1Q

WASHINGTON — PepsiCo Inc. spent $3.6 million in the first quarter to lobby the government on taxes on sugar-sweetened beverages, childhood obesity and other matters, according to a recent disclosure report.

That’s well above the $400,000 it spent in the year-ago period but less than the $5 million that the company spent in the fourth quarter of 2009. Some state lawmakers have proposed taxing sugary beverages as a way to raise money and reduce obesity, which is linked to costly health problems such as diabetes.

The Purchase, N.Y.-based maker of Pepsi, Gatorade and other beverages also lobbied on food safety, climate change, labeling, patents and other issues in the January-through-March period.

Besides Congress, PepsiCo also lobbied the Department of Health and Human Services, and the Department of Agriculture, according to the report filed April 20 with the House clerk’s office.