Energy drinks
Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill. (above) and Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., have this one in the sights, and are not letting it go easily. The Senators sent three letters to the FDA requesting that the agency investigate caffeinated energy drinks that are marketed to children.
The Senators will be encouraged by a recent statement from FDA saying it would review the safety of the product.
Some of the industry’s high-profile products have been firmly in the spotlight in recent months: 5-Hour Energy said it was “unaware of any deaths proven to have been caused” by consuming its top-selling energy shots, distributor Living Essentials insisted, after the FDA confirmed it has received 92 serious adverse event reports (AERs) citing 5-Hour-Energy in four years, including 33 hospitalizations and 13 deaths.
Monster has been hit with a number of lawsuits, including a wrongful death suit, the EGCG lawsuit, a shareholders' rights lawsuit, and a suit relating to advertising and caffeine content.