New York Times Oct 25, 2012, 02.48AM IST
NEW YORK: Among the latest entrants in the energy industry's caffeine race is a pocket-size squeeze bottle called Mio Energy.
Each half-teaspoon serving of Mio, which is sold by Kraft Foods, releases 60 milligrams of caffeine in a beverage, the amount in a six-ounce cup of coffee, the company says. But one size of the bottle, which users can repeatedly squeeze, contains 18 servings, or 1,060 milligrams, of caffeine - more than enough, health specialists say, to sicken children and some adults, and even send some of them to the hospital.
Several countries are reining in sales of energy drinks, pointing to the risks of excessive caffeine consumption by teenagers and even some adults. By year's end, Canada will cap caffeine levels in products like Monster Energy, Red Bull and Rockstar. Also countries like Mexico, France and India have or are considering steps, including taxing the drinks more heavily to discourage their use.
As consumption of energy drinks soars in the United States, some members of Congress have called for a review of the industry, and the New York State attorney-general is investigating the practices of several producers. However, critics say the Food and Drug Administration has allowed the drinks to languish in a regulatory gray area and does not require companies to disclose how much caffeine their products contain.
"Their approach has been laissez-faire," said Dr. Bruce A. Goldberger, a toxicologist at the University of Florida in Gainesville, who has been an industry critic. "The question is, what is it going to take to cause them to take action?"
FDA officials say they lack sufficient evidence to act on caffeine levels in energy drinks, but continue to study the issue. Also, producers can market an energy drink as either a beverage or a dietary supplement, differing regulatory categories with different labeling and ingredient rules.
"We don't have energy drinks defined by any regulation," said Daniel Fabricant, the director of the FDA's dietary supplement division. "It is a marketing term."
Agency officials, however, may soon face more pressure to regulate the products after the disclosure Monday that the agency had received reports of five deaths since 2009 that could be linked to Monster Energy, a top-seller. The drink's manufacturer, Monster Beverage, disputed any suggestion that its products are unsafe.
The fatalities are also raising broader questions about whether companies monitor reports of deaths and serious injuries that appear to be tied to their products. A spokeswoman for Monster Beverage said Monday that the company was unaware of four of the five deaths reported to the FDA, even though such incident reports were part of an agency database.
The mother of a 14-year-old Maryland girl who died last December from a heart arrhythmia after drinking two large cans of Monster Energy in 24 hours obtained the records by requesting them under the Freedom of Information Act. Last week, she filed a lawsuit against Monster Beverage, a publicly traded company based in Corona, Calif., seeking unspecified damages.
Under the new Canadian rules, the big, 24-ounce size of Monster Energy that the Maryland teenager, Anais Fournier, drank will be banned because it contains 240 milligrams of caffeine, 60 milligrams more than the limit set by the new standards. Companies there will also track the types of consumers using their products and compile data about any health problems linked to them.
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NEW YORK: Among the latest entrants in the energy industry's caffeine race is a pocket-size squeeze bottle called Mio Energy.
Several countries are reining in sales of energy drinks, pointing to the risks of excessive caffeine consumption by teenagers and even some adults. By year's end, Canada will cap caffeine levels in products like Monster Energy, Red Bull and Rockstar. Also countries like Mexico, France and India have or are considering steps, including taxing the drinks more heavily to discourage their use.
As consumption of energy drinks soars in the United States, some members of Congress have called for a review of the industry, and the New York State attorney-general is investigating the practices of several producers. However, critics say the Food and Drug Administration has allowed the drinks to languish in a regulatory gray area and does not require companies to disclose how much caffeine their products contain.
"Their approach has been laissez-faire," said Dr. Bruce A. Goldberger, a toxicologist at the University of Florida in Gainesville, who has been an industry critic. "The question is, what is it going to take to cause them to take action?"
FDA officials say they lack sufficient evidence to act on caffeine levels in energy drinks, but continue to study the issue. Also, producers can market an energy drink as either a beverage or a dietary supplement, differing regulatory categories with different labeling and ingredient rules.
"We don't have energy drinks defined by any regulation," said Daniel Fabricant, the director of the FDA's dietary supplement division. "It is a marketing term."
Agency officials, however, may soon face more pressure to regulate the products after the disclosure Monday that the agency had received reports of five deaths since 2009 that could be linked to Monster Energy, a top-seller. The drink's manufacturer, Monster Beverage, disputed any suggestion that its products are unsafe.
The fatalities are also raising broader questions about whether companies monitor reports of deaths and serious injuries that appear to be tied to their products. A spokeswoman for Monster Beverage said Monday that the company was unaware of four of the five deaths reported to the FDA, even though such incident reports were part of an agency database.
The mother of a 14-year-old Maryland girl who died last December from a heart arrhythmia after drinking two large cans of Monster Energy in 24 hours obtained the records by requesting them under the Freedom of Information Act. Last week, she filed a lawsuit against Monster Beverage, a publicly traded company based in Corona, Calif., seeking unspecified damages.
Under the new Canadian rules, the big, 24-ounce size of Monster Energy that the Maryland teenager, Anais Fournier, drank will be banned because it contains 240 milligrams of caffeine, 60 milligrams more than the limit set by the new standards. Companies there will also track the types of consumers using their products and compile data about any health problems linked to them.
read more
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ReplyDeleteCaffeine is one of the primary ingredients in energy drinks.It is included in energy drink for its potential to improve mental and physical performance and for its taste profile.we need to stay aware of how much caffeine we are consuming each day from energy drink,Because It also causes negative health effects after consuming too many energy drink..very informative blog focused on energy drink and it's impact on human health..I appreciate for your great writing.. Market Analysis
ReplyDeleteThank you 3B.
ReplyDeleteIt is not advised to consume more than 2 cans per day of energy drinks.FSSAI has drafted regulations on energy drink which will be approved soon.