CSPI Asks FDA to Require Energy Drink Warning Labels

The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) has submitted a letter to
U.S Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Margaret Hamburg
requesting that FDA require that “all beverages consumed in a soda-like
manner, including energy drinks, comply with the same regulations that
limit caffeine in ‘cola-type beverages’” and that energy drinks carry warning
labels that alert consumers of possible adverse reactions like convulsions or
heart attacks. The letter details information obtained from FDA about adverse
events related to energy drinks from 2004 to 2014, including heart failure,
disability and miscarriage. CSPI also warns that energy drinks are heavily
marketed to children and teens, and rates of usage among those groups are
high—the letter cites a study finding that approximately 30 to 50 percent of
children, adolescents and young adults reported consuming more than one
energy drink per month. The consumer group further presses FDA to issue
a public health warning to discourage people, and especially young people,
from consuming energy drinks and to suggest to state and local governments
that they bar minors from purchasing energy drinks.

Issue 528