Last week, the FDA  hinted it would be seriously looking at regulating Front of Pack (FOP) nutrition labeling systems. As a result, Smart Choices called it quits, and other programs are “on alert”. The FDA’s involvement can be of great assistance to the public, by creating a single unified system in ALL supermarkets and on ALL packages.

But first, wouldn’t it be nice if the FDA cleaned up the mess originally created when the Nutrition Labeling and Education Act (NLEA) brought us the nutrition facts label as we know it today?

Here’s a list of 10 things the FDA can do to improve the existing information on labels. Read more…

It’s a free country where everyone can pursue their dream, but please, can’t Congress help moms and dads by banning aging stars from milking their fame by selling our kids crap to ingest? why do parents have to be the bad cop and tell junior they’re not getting this “snack”.

From a press release earlier this week:

Hogan Energy tm – Extreme Energy Granules, a first of its kind fast melting granule that you pour directly into your mouth for fast absorption and rapid onset of energy. Hogan Energy tm provides hours of unmatched energy without the side effects or chemicals found in high sugar/caffeinated beverages. Compared to Red Bull tm, Amped tm, 5 Hour Energy tm, Rock Startm and the ever growing energy beverage market, Hogan Energy tm provides a revolutionary new nutrient delivery system with better energy at HALF the cost. The Citrus Rush flavor provides satiety in this low calorie, nutrient packed, Energy powerhouse.

What you need to know:

We wonder what the revolutionary new nutrient delivery system might be. Unfortunately, no information is provided in the press release or on Mr. Hogan’s website.

Energy drinks, energy snacks, and other inventions are not going to help your kids. They are a concoction of caffeine, High fructose corn syrup, artificial colors, and water. Except for these pellets, that don’t contain the only righteous ingredient, water.

What to do at the supermarket:

How about these energy products – bananas, blueberries, peanut butter on whole wheat bread, dark chocolate, and a cup of skim milk?

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Could cocaine be the secret behind Red Bull’s success?

Six German states have banned Red Bull after

the food safety agency in North Rhine-Westphalia (LIGA) state found 0.4 micrograms per litre in the drink.

While Germany’s Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) and the Federal Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection both said the level did not pose a threat to public safety, it was thought more states may join the ban.

Read more…

What you need to know:

We wouldn’t fret about the use of a decocainised coca leaf extract in Red Bull. Coca leaves have been used in South America for centuries. The tiny amounts of extract used in energy drink should be the least of your worries.

The real ingredients to worry about in Red Bull and other energy drinks are caffeine and sugar. Highly popular with teens and students, these products provide a buzz that supposedly improve alertness and help students cram for tests.

However, there is a risk in over consumption of caffeine. Caffeine intoxication can cause nervousness, anxiety, restlessness, insomnia, nausea, vomiting, tremors and rapid heart rate.

An 8 oz. can of Red Bull contains 27 grams of sugar, which is almost 6 teaspoons. Do you really need that much?

What to do at the supermarket:

Water is always a better choice for hydration, and a cup of espresso certainly has ample caffeine.

But if you really must drink some energy juice, choose something low in sugar and with a rational caffeine count. Since caffeine amounts do not appear on most product labels, check in advance if there is a particular brand you or your teen is interested in. Here is a helpful list from energyfiend.

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It’s been almost 20 years since the nutrition label as we know it was introduced. The intent was to empower consumers to make more informed (read: healthy) purchasing decisions. Unfortunately, the labels have not helped, as America continues to grow, and not in a good way.

While blaming the inadequacy of the nutrition panel is a naive approach to America’s relationship with its food, there are certain oversights or loopholes in the way packaged food information is provided to consumers today. For example, health claims or nutrient claims, which appear in large font on the front of package, embellish one positive trait, say “low-fat”. The nutritional cost may be a product high in sugar content as compensation. But such details appear in the side panel (the nutrition label is never up front), and consumers don’t always bother to check.

We’ve compiled a list of improvements that can make labels and packaging even more informative, hopefully providing consumers with  better tools to make a decision. Consumers will benefit from increased transparency of nutrition and ingredient information. Read more…

flickr photo: Symic

Miller Coors, the giant beer conglomerate, announced last week that it will cut the caffeine out of its popular Sparks alcoholic beverage:

MillerCoors today said it has reached an agreement with a coalition of state attorneys general to voluntarily reformulate Sparks to remove caffeine, taurine, guarana and ginseng from the product. The brewer also agreed not to produce caffeinated alcohol beverages in the future.

Read MillerCoors Press Release

The “voluntary” move is of course a preemptive decision designed to stop further investigation by over 25 state attorney generals who have

criticized the brewing company for its Sparks beverages, saying high caffeine levels in those high-alcohol brews can mask intoxication.

Energy-alcohol drinks “look and taste like popular non-alcoholic energy drinks,” Maine Atty. Gen. Steve Rowe said in a press release. “They’re popular with young people who wrongly believe that the stimulating effects of caffeine will counteract the intoxicating effects of alcohol.”

The attorneys general have also slammed MillerCoors for aggressive Sparks marketing campaigns that they say target youth.

Read the entire Chicago Tribune article…

What you need to know:

Energy drinks such as Red Bull have been mixed by drinkers with alcohol for almost as long as Red Bull has been around, as a means to “party on” while still getting “buzzed”. The Sparks drink took it one step further and saved consumers the chore of mixing. And by consumers, we mean college campus youth. However, studies have shown that mixing alcohol, a depressant, and caffeine, a stimulant, can cause people to feel less drunk than they actually are. As a result, these wired, inebriated youngsters are more prone to accidents and over time, alcoholism.

Earlier this year, the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), a consumer watchdog organization, warned both MillerCoors and Anheuser-Busch of its intent to sue them over the caffeination of alcoholic beverages. This helped Anheuser-Busch decide to take caffeine and other unapproved additives out of its two alcoholic energy drinks, Bud Extra and Tilt in June 2008.

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Image by Jim Wallace via Flickr

We wrote last week about studies recommending that energy drink labels include caffeine content information. USA Today informs us that:

One hundred scientists and physicians have written a letter to the Food and Drug Administration asking for more regulation of increasingly popular energy drinks because their high caffeine content puts young drinkers at possible risk for caffeine intoxication and higher rates of alcohol-related injuries.

Read article…

What you need to know:

“You can pick up a can and drink it and get 50 milligrams, which is the amount in a Mountain Dew, or pick one up and get 500 milligrams, and that’s enough to put someone who hasn’t built up a tolerance to caffeine into caffeine intoxication, resulting in nervousness, anxiety, restlessness, insomnia, nausea, vomiting, tremors and rapid heart rate”

What to do at the supermarket:

Since caffeine amounts do not appear on most product labels, check in advance if there is a particular brand your teen is interested in. Here is a helpful list from energyfiend.

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From the New York Times:

…now a new study suggests that manufacturers of the [caffeinated] products should be required to list caffeine content and recommended limits, including a warning about use by children.

Writing in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence, researchers noted the tremendous increase in sales of drinks like Red Bull, which they said ranged in caffeine content from 50 to 505 milligrams per container. A six-ounce cup of coffee has from 77 to 150 milligrams.

Read More…

What you need to know:

Energy drinks are a huge business in the US, with revenues of over $2.5 Billion a year. Their main ingredient is caffeine. An 8 oz cup of coffee has around 100mg of coffee, so does Red Bull. But Redline has more than twice as much – 250mg! A small warning on the can says only one should be consumed per day.

Here are some caffeine values for various drinks:
Sprite (12 fl oz) 0mg
Coke Classic (12 fl oz) 34mg
Diet Coke (12 fl oz) 45mg
Mountain Dew (12 fl oz) 55mg
Iced Tea (12 fl oz) 70mg
Red Bull (12 fl oz equivalent) 115mg
Redline Energy Drink (12 fl oz equivalent) 375mg
Cocaine Energy Drink (12 fl oz equivalent) 400mg

Decaf coffee less than 5mg
Green Tea 15-50mg
Cup of coffee 65-175mg
Cup of black tea 70mg

What to do at the supermarket:

Currently the caffeine content of most drinks is not disclosed on the nutrition label. Most manufacturers do have the information available if you ask. Or check on the web. Be especially careful with energy drinks your children consume.

credit: The Master Shake Signal

An article from the Los Angeles Times, brings the story of a teenager who was in the habit of drinking several Redline energy drinks a day, and subsequently suffered severe inflammation, bleeding and ulcerations the small intestine:

Those who love caffeinated beverages such as coffee probably, at one time or another, have experienced the heartburn they can cause. This is a known effect of caffeine. In excess, such drinks can irritate the lining of the gut, leading to severe pain. As with this teenager, they can tear you up on the inside.

What you need to know:

Energy drinks are a huge business in the US, with revenues of over $2.5 Billion a year. Their main ingredient is caffeine. An 8 oz cup of coffee has around 100mg of coffee, so does Red Bull. But Redline has more than twice as much – 250mg! A small warning on the can says only one should be consumed per day

What to look for at the supermarket:

Some drinks are sold only at drugstores. Find the drink with an acceptable level of caffeine for you. Look for usage warnings on the labels.