Energy drink tests show high caffeine levels

One energy drink can contain more caffeine than two cups of coffee, according to Consumerlab.com, which recently tested three popular energy drinks as part of a larger product review of B vitamin supplements and energy drinks. Energy drinks don't often disclose  their caffeine content, which has recently raised concerns from lawmakers.

Consumerlab.com purchased and tested 5-hour Energy, Monster Energy M-3 Concentrate and Red Bull, and along with high levels of caffeine, two of them failed to contain their listed amounts of folic acid.

Consumerlab.com cautioned that consumers should be mindful of potential side effects due to the large amounts of caffeine and vitamins attainable within the suggested daily serving sizes of energy drinks. Just two bottles of 5-hour Energy or Monster M3 Concentrate puts you over the tolerable daily intake level for niacin, which can cause skin flushing and tingling, on top of the potential jitteriness of several hundred milligrams of caffeine," said  Tod Cooperman, M.D., president, Consumerlab.com.

For the rest of the B vitamin tests, B complexes were more likely to fail testing than single B vitamin supplements. Out of 20 B complexes" and single B vitamin supplements selected by Consumerlab.com for testing, five failed to accurately list amounts of one or more vitamins, containing far less (31 percent to 87 percent) and/or far more (182 percent to 265 percent) of what was expected.

At the end of August, the Wall Street Journal reported New York's attorney general issued subpoenas to PepsiCo Inc. (which markets Monster Energy Drinks) and Living Essentials LLC (which makes 5-hour Energy drink), asking for information on the companies' marketing and advertising practices. Specifically, the attorney general said the companies understated the effects of caffeine.

In April 2012, Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) called for FDA to investigate energy drinks and to enforce its regulatory authority over the caffeine levels in energy drinks marketed as supplements. Durbin asked FDA to review the safety of adding ingredients, such as guarana, taurine, yerba mate, kola nut and ginseng, to caffeine. He also asked FDA to extend its 0.02-percent caffeine limit to energy drinks; currently, FDA enforces this limit in soft drinks, but not actively enforced for energy drinks.

In August, FDA responded to Durbin, saying no current data shows a significantly widespread caffeine consumption problem due to energy drinks.  FDA said the amounts of caffeine in energy drinks are similar to those found in commonly consumed beverages such as coffee. FDA further noted up as much as 400 mg/day of caffeine is not associated with general toxicity, cardiovascular problems and negative effects on bone status or calcium balance.

To this, Sen. Durbin sent FDA a response saying the agency  did not address the issue of stacked caffeine sourcesadding botanical caffeine or stimulant sources to caffeine formulations. He also told FDA its explanation of safe use of caffeine from energy drinks did not adequately address the "unique health risks associated with consuming high levels of caffeine among young people," who are major consumers of energy drinks.

The Consumerlab.com's Product Review of B Vitamin Supplements and Energy Drinks  tested 23 of the products that were selected and purchased by ConsumerLab.com. Twelve additional products which passed Consumerlab.coms Voluntary Certification Program are included in the report, as well as information about two products similar to another which passed testing.