As their market share increases, more companies are attempting to turn a profit in the energy beverage business. But with added revenue comes additional government oversight. 5 Hour Energy and & Red Bull have both come under investigation for ingredients contained in their drink. In a move designed to avoid this scrutiny, Monster Beverage is changing its label so it’s no longer considered a dietary supplement.
Monster’s CEO told Beverage Digest that Monster cans will list “Nutrition Facts†in place of “Supplement Factsâ€. The can redesign will also disclose the amount of caffeine in each serving of the beverage.
The move comes as lawmakers ask the Food and Drug Administration to look into the safety of the amount of caffeine and other ingredients in popular health drinks, which are extremely popular with teens and young adults.
Generally, companies have fewer regulations regarding ingredients in products classified as dietary supplements. Products that are considered food or drink can only use ingredients approved by the FDA. While Monster is currently categorized as a dietary supplement, Red Bull is categorized as a traditional beverage.
Companies who produce dietary supplements are responsible for submitting their own research to show an ingredient is “generally recognized as safe.†A spokeswoman for the FDA did not immediately release how many reports of incidents attributed to Monster beverage had been reported to the agency.
This move comes days after Mountain Dew announced it was introducing its own energy drink to the market.
Source: Huffington Post