The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has sent warning letters to four makers of alcohol energy drinks, also known as caffeinated alcoholic beverages, informing them that adding caffeine as a separate ingredient to these malt beverages is an "unsafe food additive."The four companies have 15 days to respond to the FDA warning after which the agency has the option to go to court to stop the sale of their products.
The FDA made it clear that the warning is not aimed at beverages that add caffeine-containing ingredients to their drinks, such as coffee flavoring, but those in which caffeine is specifically added as a separate ingredient.
Masking the Effects of Alcohol
The agency took the step because its experts said that caffeine can mask "sensory cues that people may rely on to determine how intoxicated they are." Consequently, people who drink these beverages can become much more intoxicated than they realize.
Contrary to popular belief, caffeine does not reduce the drinker's blood alcohol levels and therefore does not reduce the risks associated with intoxication, the FDA said in a news release.
The targeted drinks, which are 12% alcohol, contain as much alcohol as four to six regular beers. Some of them contain other stimulant ingredients in addition to caffeine, the agency said.
Public Health Concern
Many of them are marketed in large colorful cans that resemble other non-alcoholic energy drinks. Others are marketed in what appears to be a regular beer bottle, although they are much more potent than a single beer.
Earlier, the FDA asked the companies to prove that adding caffeine was a safe practice. The agency said today that they had failed to show that the drinks were safe and they actually pose a "public health concern."
The "blackout in a can" beverages attracted more attention last month after a rash of hospitalizations took place across the country due to consumption of the alcohol-energy drinks.
FDA Warns Four Companies
The companies receiving the November 17, FDA warning letters include: Charge Beverages Corp., New Century Brewing Co. LLC, Phusion Projects LLC (which does business as the Drink Four Brewing Co.), and United Brands.
The caffeinated malt beverages referenced in these warning letters are:
- Core High Gravity HG Green
- Core High Gravity HG Orange
- Four Loko
- Joose
- Lemon Lime Core Spiked
- Moonshot
- Max
Other Caffeinated Alcoholic Beverages
Related Information:
Photo: © Getty Images, FDA
If I want to have alcohol with caffeine, I’ll do it manually if I have to, cigarettes are unhealthy, how about you ban those pigs!?