An influencer-backed energy drink that has earned viral popularity among children is facing scrutiny from lawmakers and health experts over its potentially dangerous levels of caffeine.
The weird part is the lacking regulations for showing what amount of caffeine is appropriate for a normal daily value, as they do with all the other components of foods and drinks. That should be the thing they update to apply to all energy drinks.
The excuse used is that caffeine isn’t a nutrient, but that sounds like one of the reasons on why it should be included on the labels. Some labels do include it, but in a much less prominent way, as if they’re trying to hide it. The regulations should make caffeine be the required most prominent thing on labels for energy drinks, coffee, ect where the caffeine is the literal point of them.
Yeah but when you have a label that says “This can has 40% of daily recommended caffeine”, teens will read that more than the 3pt font we now have. 200mg is an abstract value to humans, while taking enough energy drinks for 200% daily caffeine is a dare.
The weird part is the lacking regulations for showing what amount of caffeine is appropriate for a normal daily value, as they do with all the other components of foods and drinks. That should be the thing they update to apply to all energy drinks.
The excuse used is that caffeine isn’t a nutrient, but that sounds like one of the reasons on why it should be included on the labels. Some labels do include it, but in a much less prominent way, as if they’re trying to hide it. The regulations should make caffeine be the required most prominent thing on labels for energy drinks, coffee, ect where the caffeine is the literal point of them.
I’m conflicted on this.
The adult side of me wants to have this info on labels/menus so I can make informed choices.
The side of my that used to be in high school knows that kids will buy the highest number for bragging rights among friends.
They can already do that though? They show the mg on the label just not the recommendation
Yeah but when you have a label that says “This can has 40% of daily recommended caffeine”, teens will read that more than the 3pt font we now have. 200mg is an abstract value to humans, while taking enough energy drinks for 200% daily caffeine is a dare.