It’s been over 25 years since Red Bull hit the market and introduced caffeinated energy drinks to the United States. The company claims that its beverage “gives you wings”, but it never actually says it’s good for humans.
But as the energy drink market continues to grow rapidly, companies old and new are trying to lure health-conscious customers with a wave of sugar-free, low-calorie drinks that claim to boost energy and replenish electrolytes and other hydration. there is material.
Drinks on offer include drinks from the popular brand Celsius, which is funded by PepsiCo and uses the marketing line Celsius Live Fit. It claims to be made with “healthier ingredients” such as ginger, green tea and vitamins. Similarly, Influencer-backed Prime Energy is sugar-free and contains the electrolytes that are the main ingredient in most sports drinks.
“They’re all sugar-free, calorie-free,” says Jim Watson, a beverage analyst at Rabobank, a Dutch-based food and agri-focused bank. He added that energy drink consumption has increased, partly due to the decades-long shift away from sugary sodas. “They want a healthy image.”
Even Gatorade, which has long sold beverages to athletes in hopes of replenishing lost fluids and electrolytes after strenuous exercise, is jumping into the caffeine arms race. This year, Gatorade launched Fast Twitch, a sugar-free beverage in flavors such as Strawberry Watermelon and Cool Blue. Caffeine level equivalent to 2 or more cups of coffee.
This new focus has contributed to the growth of the energy drink market, with U.S. sales skyrocketing from $12 billion to $19 billion over the past five years, according to market research firm Circana.
PepsiCo last year paid $550 million to acquire an 8.5% stake in Celsius. Celsius announced in May that it had revenue of $260 million in the first quarter of this year, doubling from the same period last year. At this blistering pace, he could earn over $1 billion this year, up from $314 million just two years ago. Celsius stock has risen to $144 from $69 a year ago. Similarly, the shares of beverage company Monster Energy have risen 31 percent over the past year.
However, there are concerns that drinks advertised as healthy are resulting in children and teens consuming unhealthy amounts of caffeine.
In March, neon-colored cans of Prime Energy began appearing in lunchrooms filled with fourth and fifth graders in Wilmington Public Schools, Massachusetts. The popular drink was launched in January by social media stars Logan Paul and Orazid Olinka Williams Oratunzi (better known as KSI).
For some young students, Prime Energy Drink, with flavors such as strawberry watermelon and orange mango, was a delicious golden liquid.
“We also had fourth- and fifth-grade entrepreneurs who brought them to school and sold them to other kids at lunch,” said Rebecca Brown, the district’s health services coordinator.
But the eye-popping tin packs a serious punch. A 12-ounce can of Prime Energy contains 200 milligrams of caffeine. That’s roughly the equivalent of 2 Red Bulls, 2 coffees, or 6 cans of Coca-Cola.
In some British schools, Australia Drinks are already prohibited. In the United States, federal regulations say schools cannot sell or serve caffeinated beverages to elementary and middle school students, but many schools do not restrict what students bring from home.
“Shortly after drinking, students showed up at the nurse’s office saying they were feeling sick and their hearts were racing,” said Brown, who inserted a note about the energy drink in the school’s weekly email to parents. said. Do not bring to school.
A 12-ounce can of Red Bull contains about 114 milligrams of caffeine, which is more than three times the amount found in a 12-ounce can of Coca-Cola. Prime Energy contains even more. 200 milligrams per 12 oz can. A 16-ounce can of van energy drink, the size you’d normally find in a convenience store, contains 300 milligrams of caffeine.
A representative for social media personality Paul and Prime Energy said in an emailed response to a question that the company’s cans labeled the drink “not recommended for children under 18.” pointed out. But parents and school officials sometimes confuse the drink with Prime Hydration, the social media star’s caffeine-free sports drink, which is sold in bottles. The drink is also hugely popular, with sales in its first year he surpassing $250 million and an increasing number of customers. waiting in line It took me hours to buy it at some grocery stores in England.
“Everybody thought Red Bull was the caffeine peak for energy drinks,” said Ryan Stanton, M.D., an emergency physician in Lexington, Kentucky. It is said that he saw a patient who came to the hospital complaining of Too much caffeine can increase your heart rate. “Some of these drinks contain twice to three times the caffeine level of Red Bull.”
Studies show that caffeine consumption may have health benefits, but too much of it can cause cardiovascular and stomach problems. Over the years, the Food and Drug Administration has investigated several reports of people dying shortly after consuming energy drinks or five-hour energy shots. But an FDA spokeswoman said in an emailed response to questions that the agency had never established a link between the two.
Adults are recommended to consume no more than 400 milligrams of caffeine per day. Pediatricians recommend that adolescents between the ages of 12 and 18 should not consume more than 100 milligrams of caffeine per day, and children under the age of 12 should avoid caffeine altogether.
Over the years, there have been efforts to tighten government regulations on energy drinks and limit caffeine allowed in beverages.several state legislators Indiana and Connecticutis considering a ban on the sale of energy drinks to minors. But the industry has successfully pushed back, including by claiming that young people can get caffeine from a myriad of sources, including soda and coffee. For example, a 16-ounce cinnamon-caramel cream cold brew from Starbucks contains 265 milligrams of caffeine (not to mention 260 calories).
About ten years ago, the energy drink industry voluntarily adopted a range of products through its lobbying arm, the American Beverage Association. principleThis includes labeling the amount of caffeine in the product or stating on the package that the drink is not recommended for children. The industry has also agreed not to sell or market its products at schools.
But critics say some energy drinks are clearly marketed to younger customers. Last year, consumer advocacy groups truth in advertising Companies like C4 Energy, which sells flavors like Starburst and Skittles, and Ghost Energy, which sells Sourpatch Kids and Swedish fish-flavored drinks that contain more caffeine than two cups of coffee, are underage people. said he was trying to appeal to
Dan Lorenco, CEO and co-founder of Ghost, said in an email that the company’s products are aimed at millennials looking for a nostalgic taste of their youth. Nutravolt-owned C4 Energy did not respond to an e-mail requesting comment.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Smart Snacks Program creates nutritional standards for foods and foodstuffs. drink It said products sold in schools must be caffeine-free. However, while the beverages sold in high schools have calorie restrictions, they do not have caffeine restrictions.
Additionally, the FDA considers “energy drink” a marketing term and has no specific regulations for it. An agency spokesperson added in an email that companies still have a responsibility to include safe amounts of caffeine in their beverages.
Chloe Fitzgibbon, 17, who graduated from Lincoln Southeast High School in Lincoln, Nebraska in May, said in an article on the school’s newspaper website last year that energy drinks should be sold in the school cafeteria. I questioned whether Clarion. Ms Fitzgibbon noted that the school sold a version of Mountain Dew, “Kickstart,” and students chose the drink not only for its energy boost, but also because it was easy to purchase through their student accounts. Stated.
The high school cafeteria sells a number of caffeinated beverages, including Kickstart, which has 68 milligrams of caffeine in a 12-ounce can, and Sparkling Water Bubbler, which has 69 milligrams of caffeine in a 12-ounce can. ing. Lincoln Public Schools spokeswoman Mindy Verbach said in an email that students are limited to purchasing two caffeinated beverages each day.
“When I took my early morning class, ‘AP Psych,’ almost everyone came for a coffee or bought an energy drink from the school,” Fitzgibbon said.
Pasco County Schools, just north of Tampa, Florida, also offers kickstart drinks to high school students at its vending machines. But Stephen Hegarty, a spokesman for the district, said PepsiCo, which owns the brand, marketed the beverage as a “fortified soft drink” rather than an “energy drink.” PepsiCo declined to comment.
“If you go to our high school, you’ll see students walk in with Starbucks, and some of the drinks are high in caffeine,” Hegarty said. “I don’t really understand the definition of an energy drink these days.”
