On Friday, the newly reinvigorated FDA sent a letter to 30 beverage manufacturers, giving them one month to show that caffeine in alcoholic beverages is indeed safe for consumption.

“Today the FDA has listed caffeine only as an ingredient for use in soft drinks,” said Deputy Commissioner Dr. Joshua Sharfstein. “The agency has not approved caffeine for use in alcoholic beverages.”

What started a decade ago with youngsters mixing red-bull into vodka at parties, has become a national “epidemic”. College students are now spared the mixing and can get caffeinated booz directly from one one bottle or can. The market for caffeinated alcoholic drinks is about 1% of the total beer industry, or about $1 billion.

What you need to know:

Some young people mistakenly believe that the caffeine will cancel the effect of the alcohol. In fact, they become alert drunks.

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, simultaneously wired and inebriated college kids are more prone to accidents and over time, alcoholism.

Last 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. Several state attorneys had also sent inquiries to manufacturers.

Those actions 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. In December 2008, Miller Coors, the giant beer conglomerate, cut the caffeine out of its popular Sparks beverage.

Now that the FDA is weighing in on the issue, hopefully the rest of the industry will follow suit. Unfortunately, collegiate party animals will still be left with the original option of mixing energy drinks and alcohol, a choice that hopefully less of them will make.

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Some shoppers may have noticed lately that packages of Frito-Lay brand potato chips, Doritos, Cheetos, and Tostitos are bigger than they used to be. It’s hard to miss, especially when the one on Tostitos says: ”Hey! There’s 20 percent more free fun to share in here!”

That’s 20% more calories, fat, and sodium too.

The price, though, hasn’t changed. Why would a manufacturer want to give us this gift?

The New York Times explains:

Think of your food packages like an economic barometer: Times are tough, so costs are low and packages are bigger. When times are good, costs are high and packages, to compensate, get smaller.

Tough times also mean consumers have less money to spend, so they want those bigger packages. Experts say this is a promotional tool that helps branded food companies steer shoppers back to their products and away from less expensive, store-brand alternatives.

What you need to know:

Last year, as commodity prices were going through the roof, manufacturers had a dilemma – should they raise prices to remain profitable? The answer was no. Instead, they sneakily reduced the amount of product and employed a grocery shrink ray to reduce the package size. Packaged items from Red Bull to chicken wings to peanut butter were secretly shrunk, and consumers were unknowingly paying more per ounce of food / beverage.

Now that commodity prices are way down and consumers are pinching pennies, it’s time to reverse the shrink ray and start to buff up those packages. Lowering prices would be great for us, but food companies are afraid that it would devalue their brand and cause problems in the future when they’ll want to raise prices again.

While last year’s shrink ray was hush hush, this year’s good deeds of package growth should not go unheard right? You betcha, and that’s why all the XYZ-os are labeled with the “20% more” marketing message.

Thanks food manufacturers, for being dishonest with us last year, and for stuffing us with even more of you unhealthy snacks this year.

At least one thing hasn’t changed – the serving size – a laughable 11 chips. Yes, that’s right, what people wolf down between opening the bag to pouring its contents into a serving bowl. But we’ll talk about serving sizes in another post.

What to do at the supermarket:

Some supermarkets let you easily compare product prices by reading shelf tags with price per oz / fl oz. This is a very helpful tool.

But even more helpful to you will be to cut down on the amount of processed snacks you purchase, and direct the savings to more natural options like fresh fruits, dried fruits, and nuts.

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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 took a lawsuit, but Nestle and the Coca Cola Company, who jointly market Enviga Green Tea, need to stop claiming it reduces weight. From the LA Times:

Connecticut Atty. Gen. Richard Blumenthal began an inquiry in 2007 seeking evidence that consumers who drink Enviga burn more calories than they take in. Blumenthal, who had said the claim might be “voodoo nutrition,” led the coalition of states and the District of Columbia in the settlement.

The companies agreed to re-label Enviga to add disclosures and disclaim weight-loss benefits, Blumenthal said Thursday. Any marketing of Enviga or a similar beverage that uses the terms “the calorie burner,” “negative calories” or “drink negative” must clearly disclose that the product doesn’t lead to weight loss without diet and exercise, he said.

“The Enviga lesson is that weight loss requires sound diet and exercise, not simply a concoction of caffeine and green tea,” Blumenthal said. “Enviga’s calorie-burning claims led to credibility loss more than weight loss.”

read the entire article…

What you need to know:

Health claims are regulated by the FDA, and must be based on sound science. In many cases the science is only partially established. In those cases, the health claims are qualified by a disclaimer (which usually appears in a much smaller font at the bottom of the package).

Enviga was introduced in 2006. The studies which led Nestle and Coke to the revelation that their caffeine based concoction will burn calories is based on a simple fact -  any caffeine product speeds up metabolism and creates a calorie burning effect for a limited time. The additional antioxidant EGCG (Epigallocatechin gallate), found in green tea, has not been found to “burn calories”.

It’s too bad Enviga doesn’t state the amount of caffeine in each can, but of course, that kind of information is not interesting to consumers, is it? Thankfully EnergyFiend has a list of all energy drinks and their caffeine content. Enviga boasts 100mg of caffeine in a 12 oz. can, roughly three times more than regualr Coca Cola, and 15% less than the Red Bull equivalent.

What to do at the supermarket:

Our usual advice is to avoid health claims, as they are merely marketing hype. Read the ingredient list and the nutrition label to get your facts. Watch your caffeine consumption by inquiring about the caffein levels in various drinks.

If you want to lose weight, limit your daily intake of calories, and exercise regularly. Processed foods, and even worse, liquid candies, will not be your savior.

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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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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.