Docs push for energy drink warnings
This article was originally published in The Tan Sheet
Executive Summary
Caffeinated energy drinks should warn about potential health risks and identify caffeine content levels, researchers at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore say Sept. 24. "It's notable that over-the-counter caffeine-containing products require warning labels, yet energy drinks do not" because, as dietary supplements, they are not held to FDA's caffeine limit for soft drinks of 71 mg per 12 oz., says Chad Reissig, one of the authors of "Caffeinated energy drinks - A growing problem," published online Sept. 21 in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence. Some industry experts encourage energy drink marketers to add responsible labeling to their products before FDA mandates it (1"The Tan Sheet" Sept. 8, 2008, p. 11)