In a crackdown on highly caffeinated drinks, the South Australian government has pulled potentially harmful non-compliant energy drinks from the shelves of 18 retailers.
SA Health officials inspected more than 100 retailers and ultimately seized 700 products, some with almost double the maximum permitted level of caffeine.
Warning letters were issued to 13 businesses and two received penalty notices totalling $3000.
Under the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code, it is illegal to sell energy drinks which contain more than 320 mg/L of caffeine, but there is no nationally recognised safe level of caffeine consumption.
SA Health minister, Chris Picton, said, “We’re actively working to remove the products from shop shelves, but it’s important that businesses play their part too by not importing or stocking these products in the first place.”
GFUEL, Bang, and Raze Energy were the main brands seized. Each contained more than 300 mg of caffeine in a 473 ml can – almost double what is permitted and the equivalent of nine cans of Coca-Cola or three shots of coffee.
Other brands that exceeded regulations were C4, Ghost, Ryse Fuel, 3D, and Redcon1, with products seized containing 200 mg of caffeine in 473 ml cans.
“The level of caffeine in them can be harmful to both physical and mental health, particularly among kids. Alarmingly, the products appear to be purposefully marketed towards teenagers.
“I’d encourage businesses to check that the energy drinks they sell comply with national food standards, and those purchasing energy drinks should always check the caffeine levels first,” Picton said.
While some brands had other products in the market that complied with permitted caffeine levels, SA Health officials have been working with retailers on imported drinks that have different caffeine levels, even though the labels are nearly identical.
Acting chief Public Health officer, Dr Chris Lease, said, “When you see these products alongside other energy drinks, it’s tricky to tell which ones contain excessive amounts of caffeine without looking closely at the label. Before you check out, check the label for the caffeine level.”
Consuming excessive amounts of caffeine can cause insomnia, anxiety and depression, cardiovascular issues, heartburn, ulcers, seizures and in rare cases, even death.
It also has the potential to cause harm to teenagers, with the recommended maximum daily intake for teenagers being 3 mg per kilogram of body weight.
For healthy adults, a daily total of 400 mg and a maximum of 200 mg in a single serving, is generally considered safe, while people who are pregnant or breastfeeding should not exceed 200 mg a day.
UniSA Bachelor of Nutrition and Food Sciences program director, Dr Evangeline Mantzioris, said caffeine is problematic for young people because they have limited ability to break down caffeine in their body under the age of 18.
“Because of their limited ability to break down caffeine, young people will have caffeine stay in their bodies longer. Higher caffeine levels can cause heart problems, as well as anxiety. It increases their risk of heart palpitations, chest pains, shortness of breath, and fainting. It is of particular concern for young people who have underlying heart problems which have not yet been diagnosed,” Mantzioris said.
People buying energy drinks are encouraged to always check the label to understand how much caffeine they will be consuming.
Lease said, “Often, these drinks are imported from overseas and retailers do not realise that they do not comply with our regulations.
“In an effort to reduce the ability for these products to enter Australia as imported foods, the Australian Department for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry has put eight holding orders on various non-compliant energy drink brands.”
Industry response
The Australian Beverages Council, Australian Association of Convenience Stores and National Retail Association have commended the South Australian government for its action.
Australian Beverages Council CEO, Geoff Parker, said, “The regulations for Australian energy drinks are long standing and are some of the strictest for this product category in the world, regulated by Standard 2.6.4 in the code. Consumers can be assured our members fully comply with Australian regulations.”
Australian Association of Convenience Stores CEO, Theo Foukkare, said the action needed to be replicated in every state and territory to stop non-compliant drink suppliers continuing to push unapproved products into retail environments.
“Our retail members have strict processes to ensure that all energy drinks that are available for sale meet the strict Australian guidelines,” Foukkare said.
National Retail Association director of Policy, David Stout, said, “Educating retailers to identify non-compliant products is a critical step to assist retailers in supporting the government to help keep Australians safe through the identification and removal of these products from shelves.”
