PRIME energy drinks are extremely popular with kids and teens, but the drinks could soon face an FDA investigation as a US Senator has asked for the agency to look at the caffeine levels.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer believes the caffeine levels in PRIME energy beverages are too high, and he’s calling for the FDA to investigate.
PRIME is a range of sports drinks and energy drinks developed by American media personality Logan Paul in collaboration with YouTube rapper and boxer KSI in 2022.
The drink brand has become so popular with children that they are now being sold for high prices on eBay, and there are even tracker apps to find stock in stores. There are two types of PRIME drinks: Hydration and Energy.
PRIME Hydration is a caffeine-free sports drink. It doesn’t contain any sugar. Instead, it’s sweetened with aspartame.
PRIME Energy contains 200mg of caffeine, which is the same as roughly two cups of instant coffee or 2.5 cans of Red Bull, which is a lot of caffeine for a child to consume. Despite having a warning recommending that it’s not good for under-18s, children are still drinking it.
Mr. Schumer said: “One of the summer’s hottest status symbols for kids is not an outfit or a toy — it’s a beverage. But buyers and parents beware because it’s a serious health concern for the kids it so feverishly targets.”
He also said that Prime Energy was marketed “in near identical form” as PRIME Hydration, which is a zero-caffeine sports drink, and that the drink is now a “summer status symbol” among young people due to the promotional efforts of social media influencers Logan Paul and KSI.
The company that makes PRIME said that it has already taken steps to keep the product away from children, including a clear warning label that it’s not suitable for under-18s.
According to the Mayo Clinic, most energy drinks contain between 100 and 300mg of caffeine per serving, and up to 400mg is safe for most adults. This means that PRIME falls in the safe range for adult consumers, but most doctors agree that energy drinks are bad for kids.
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