AFP, published on Saturday July 15, 2023 at 4:30 a.m.
With its very high amounts of caffeine, a new fashionable drink in the United States is accused of being dangerous for children, who have been snapping it up since it was launched by famous Youtubers.
Prime was created in 2022 by American Logan Paul and Briton KSI, two of the most influential Youtubers. A first drink, Prime Hydration, did not contain caffeine.
But this year, a second line was launched: Prime Energy. A single can contains 200 mg of caffeine — far more than the 30 mg in a can of Coca-Cola, and the 80 mg in a can of Red Bull.
A video of the two internet stars, at the time of the launch, shows them playing video games or even table tennis, first very slowly and without enthusiasm, then frantically after drinking the drink.
Since then, on the TikTok social network, many videos show children proudly brandishing the famous bottles, to a little music claiming “we found Prime, guys!”.
However, according to medical experts, the consumption of caffeine is not recommended for the youngest.
Children under 12 should not consume it at all, warns the American Academy for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP), a professional association. And between the ages of 12 and 18, a limit of 100 mg per day is recommended — or half a can of Prime Energy.
In addition to restlessness, anxiety, or headaches, too much caffeine can cause a child to vomit, high blood pressure, or heart rhythm problems, according to AACAP. Some may be more sensitive to it than others.
– Marketing strategy –
“This product has only one real target market: children under 18, and that’s why I’m sounding the alarm,” influential Democratic Senator Chuck Schumer said this week. body.
Prime Energy exists in many attractive flavors for the youngest (orange-mango, raspberry-melon…).
But the caffeine levels in this drink are “mind-boggling for a child’s body,” said Chuck Schumer. She “is fashionable because she has become a status symbol influenced by social networks, which children try at all costs to copy”, judged her office in a press release.
Mr. Schumer announced that he had written to the head of the American Medicines Agency (FDA), also in charge of health standards for food, demanding that an investigation be carried out into the levels of caffeine contained and the marketing strategy adopted.
The US agency responded this week “to consider the concerns” raised by the senator, and that it would respond directly to him.
“We encourage responsible individuals and families to read a product’s label before giving it to their child,” an FDA spokesperson said in a statement.
The can does feature a discreet line indicating that the drink is not recommended for those under 18, but the warning is far from obvious.
The FDA — which has issued warnings in the past against several companies marketing both alcoholic and caffeinated beverages — recalls that adults can generally consume up to 400 mg of caffeine per day without harmful effects, or four to five cups of coffee.
– Juicy market –
Logan Paul partially responded to the controversy in a video posted to social media on Thursday.
He took offense to some media reports that Canada had recalled Prime Energy cans in an action against illegal imports, as the company was not officially distributed there.
“Prime’s formulas are in order with the regulatory bodies in each country,” he said in this video.
“It does not surprise me that we are targeted by large conglomerates and even the American government!”, He added. “Because by using social media, we’ve created a drink so innovative, it’s eating up the market share of the biggest companies on the planet!”
The energy drink market is thriving and growing, and American supermarket shelves are full of different brands.
In its first year of operations, Prime sold $250 million worth of products, Logan Paul previously said in an interview.
2023-07-15 02:30:00
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