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Nov. 17, 2010 -- Federal officials have warned four companies that caffeine added to some of their alcoholic beverages makes their drinks unsafe and has asked the companies to provide data concerning these safety concerns.
The FDA and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issued similar warning letters to these companies:
The FTC says its letters warn that caffeine as used in the companies’ products is an “unsafe food additive” under the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA).
“Consumers might mistakenly assume that these beverages are safe because they are widely sold,” David Vladeck, director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, says in a news release. “In fact, there is good reason to believe that these caffeinated alcohol drinks pose significant risks to consumer health and safety.”
He says consumers, especially young, inexperienced drinkers, “may not realize how much alcohol they have consumed because caffeine can mask the sense of intoxication.”
The FTC’s statement says the agency “strongly” urges the companies to review the way they are marketing the products and orders the firms to “take swift and appropriate steps to protect consumers.”
Both federal agencies give the companies 15 days to comply with government directives.
The FDA says its warning letters were sent following a careful scientific review and the examination of peer-reviewed studies on the consumption of alcohol and caffeine.
The FDA says it also consulted experts in the fields of toxicology, neuro-pharmacology, emergency medicine, and epidemiology, and that it also reviewed information manufacturers provided to federal authorities. The FDA also says its investigators performed independent laboratory analysis of the products.
Joshua M. Sharfstein, MD, principal deputy commissioner of the FDA, says the agency rejects the claim made by the companies that “the addition of caffeine to these alcoholic beverages is ‘generally recognized as safe.’”
Rather, he says, evidence exists supporting the federal contention that the caffeinated alcohol drinks “pose a public health concern.”
Concern has been raised before that caffeine can mask some of the cues of intoxication, leading to dangerous and life-threatening situations, the FDA says. It also says its officials believe that the products involved are being marketed in violation of the FFDCA.
Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., who has been critical of caffeinated alcoholic beverages, says in a news release that the actions of the federal agencies effectively send notice to the companies that their products are unsafe and that such drinks won’t be tolerated.