Here we go again – more bad science from the "study of the day" intended to scare and create buzz. Today, energy drinks are the victim. There's a lot of misinformation being circulated about these products, namely regarding the caffeine amounts in energy drinks and whether or not these products are regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

First, whether categorized as a conventional food or as a dietary supplement, all energy drinks and their ingredients are regulated by FDA.  This is true for energy drinks as well as any other food or beverage. The activists claiming otherwise are not being forthright.

Caffeine, a core ingredient of energy drinks, is one of the most thoroughly tested ingredients in the food supply today.  Its use has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, as well as more than 140 countries around the world.

And when it comes to caffeine, it’s important to put the facts in perspective when it comes to energy drinks.  Energy drinks contain about half the caffeine of a similar size cup of coffee you would buy at your favorite coffeehouse.  In fact, young adults getting coffee from popular coffeehouses are getting about twice as much caffeine as they would from a similar size energy drink.

But most importantly, government data shows that children and teens are not large consumers of energy drinks – undermining a fundamental attack leveled by “the study of the day.”  According to the National Health and Nutrition Examination (NHANES) Survey, the caffeine consumed from energy drinks for those under the age of 18 is less than the caffeine derived from all other sources including soft drinks, coffee and teas. And total caffeine consumption from energy drinks among pre-teens is nearly zero.  In fact, the data show that caffeine consumption from energy drinks for children and teens, on average, is far less than even one can of an energy drink per day.

ABA and our member companies encourage all consumers to stay informed about the products they consume.  Reading the nutrition facts panel and heeding the voluntary advisory statements that many of our members place on their product labels is important.

We’ll be straight with you. Energy drinks contain a good dose of caffeine. So, those who are sensitive to caffeine – or aren’t regular consumers of caffeine – should keep that in mind. In other words, take the same common sense approach you would take with coffee.

For more information on energy drinks, visit our Energy Drinks product page at: www.ameribev.org/minisites/products/.