The U.S. Food and Drug Administration told the manufacturers of seven caffeinated alcoholic beverages Wednesday that their drinks are a "public health concern" and can't stay on the market in their current form.
The move follows a year-long review by the FDA, which gave the companies 15 days to either reformulate their products or face possible seizure under federal law, said Dr. Joshua Sharfstein, the agency's principal deputy commissioner. Experts have said the caffeine used in the beverages can mask the effects of alcohol, leaving drinkers unaware of how intoxicated they are.
"FDA does not find support for the claim that the addition of caffeine to these alcoholic beverages is 'generally recognized as safe,' which is the legal standard," Sharfstein told reporters. "To the contrary, there is evidence that the combinations of caffeine and alcohol in these products pose a public health concern."
One of the companies that received warning letters was Phusion Projects, of Chicago, Illinois, which makes Four Loko -- a drink nicknamed "blackout in a can" by some users. The company announced Tuesday that it was dropping caffeine and two other ingredients, guarana and taurine, from Four Loko in the face of "a difficult and politically-charged regulatory environment."
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The FDA began its review in November 2009, after complaints from officials in several states. The controversy exploded in October, when nine underage students at Central Washington University were hospitalized after drinking Four Loko, both on its own and mixed with other drinks, police reported.
Critics say drinks like Four Loko mix caffeine equal to the amount in three cups of coffee with the alcoholic equivalent of three cans of beer and are designed to appeal to younger consumers accustomed to consuming high-caffeine energy drinks. A 23.5-ounce can of Four Loko contains either 6 or 12 percent alcohol by volume, depending on state regulations.
http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/11/17/al … tml?hpt=T2
So do the FDA and critics of drinks like Four Loko have a legitimate point, or is this overreaction by government?
Personally, I find it odd that the FDA is quicker to take action restricting combination energy-alcohol drinks than they are to make statements regarding trans fats, HFCS, or corporate farming.
It's one thing when a public health hazard is subtly present within food (like trans fats) or when the predominant system of food production has sanitation issues (like crowded and filthy chickenhouses), but in the grand scheme of things, Four Loko seems pretty far down the list of public health hazards.
Besides, all alcoholic beverages are already regulated enough as it is. Why regulate them even more?
The move follows a year-long review by the FDA, which gave the companies 15 days to either reformulate their products or face possible seizure under federal law, said Dr. Joshua Sharfstein, the agency's principal deputy commissioner. Experts have said the caffeine used in the beverages can mask the effects of alcohol, leaving drinkers unaware of how intoxicated they are.
"FDA does not find support for the claim that the addition of caffeine to these alcoholic beverages is 'generally recognized as safe,' which is the legal standard," Sharfstein told reporters. "To the contrary, there is evidence that the combinations of caffeine and alcohol in these products pose a public health concern."
One of the companies that received warning letters was Phusion Projects, of Chicago, Illinois, which makes Four Loko -- a drink nicknamed "blackout in a can" by some users. The company announced Tuesday that it was dropping caffeine and two other ingredients, guarana and taurine, from Four Loko in the face of "a difficult and politically-charged regulatory environment."
...
The FDA began its review in November 2009, after complaints from officials in several states. The controversy exploded in October, when nine underage students at Central Washington University were hospitalized after drinking Four Loko, both on its own and mixed with other drinks, police reported.
Critics say drinks like Four Loko mix caffeine equal to the amount in three cups of coffee with the alcoholic equivalent of three cans of beer and are designed to appeal to younger consumers accustomed to consuming high-caffeine energy drinks. A 23.5-ounce can of Four Loko contains either 6 or 12 percent alcohol by volume, depending on state regulations.
http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/11/17/al … tml?hpt=T2
So do the FDA and critics of drinks like Four Loko have a legitimate point, or is this overreaction by government?
Personally, I find it odd that the FDA is quicker to take action restricting combination energy-alcohol drinks than they are to make statements regarding trans fats, HFCS, or corporate farming.
It's one thing when a public health hazard is subtly present within food (like trans fats) or when the predominant system of food production has sanitation issues (like crowded and filthy chickenhouses), but in the grand scheme of things, Four Loko seems pretty far down the list of public health hazards.
Besides, all alcoholic beverages are already regulated enough as it is. Why regulate them even more?
