![]() These can be toxic and affect renal and circulatory systems if consumed in high quantities,” said Ramana, an assistant director in the national institute’s department of work physiology and sports nutrition. “Energy drinks contain chemical compounds like taurine, glucunalactone (a food additive) and guarana in addition to caffeine. Y Venkat Ramana of the National Institute of Nutrition in Hyderabad explained these drinks have a greater psychosomatic impact than a physical one. “The setting of standards for energy drinks category should be science- based and take into account relevant best practices,” said Varma.Ĭonsumer activists say the term energy drink is a misnomer. The association is in favour of new standards for energy drinks. International regulations treat energy drinks as separate from carbonated drinks and permit higher caffeine content in them than in carbonated drinks, he added. This is the least amount necessary for an energy drink to serve its purpose, said a beverage company official.Īrvind Varma, secretary general of the Indian Beverage Association, said energy drinks have a “different formula profile, designed to provide specific functionality, such as enhancing performance”. The authority’s expert committee on energy drinks has said the justification of a caffeine cut-off limit of 320 ppm needs to be ascertained. The draft says the daily intake of caffeine through carbonated beverages is not very high and that people consume more caffeine by drinking tea and coffee. The only draft relating to regulations for energy drinks, posted on FSSAI website, shows the scales are tipping in favour of energy drink producers. Red Bull is the most popular energy drink the other players in the market include Coca Cola’s Burn and Goldwin Healthcare’s Cloud 9. 200 crore and it has grown without any regulations. The energy drinks market in India is worth Rs. It is unclear whether the authority is planning to take its manufacturer to task for defying the law but one thing is clear-the FSSAI is planning to create a new category of beverages to accommodate energy drinks and allow them to use more caffeine in their products. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), established under the Food Safety and Standards Act 2006, refused to comment on the status of Red Bull under the law, saying the case is sub judice. The company challenged the ruling before another bench of the high court and obtained a stay order. In February 2010, the Madras High Court declared Red Bull did not conform to PFA rules (see ‘ Red Bull seizures’,). This meant the caffeine content in Red Bull had to be cut to 145 ppm. But an amendment to the rules framed under the act-rule 37-A(2)-in 2009 stipulated that all rules and standards prescribed under the act would be applicable to proprietary food as well. According to PFA Act of 1954, energy drinks have no prescribed standards and are labelled as proprietary food. ![]() Red Bull is promoted as an energy drink because of its composition and the fact that it acts as an energy booster. Red Bull makers contested the laboratory findings, arguing energy drinks are not carbonated drinks and don’t need to adhere to caffeine limits prescribed for soft drinks. The Prevention of Food Adulteration (PFA) Act prescribes a cap of 200 ppm for carbonated beverages it was reduced to 145 ppm in 2008. Sample analysis of Red Bull by the Central Food Laboratory in Mysore in 2005 revealed it had 329 parts per million (ppm) or 329mg/litre caffeine content. Red Bull, first created in Thailand in 1962, is sold in over 160 countries. The company wants energy drinks to be treated as proprietary food product for which standards are yet to be evolved in India. Red Bull has been pulled up on a couple of occasions for exceeding the prescribed caffeine limit in recent years.īut the beverage manufacturer, Red Bull India Pvt Ltd, managed to evade prosecution by moving court and claiming its product should not be treated as a carbonated drink like Coca Cola or Pepsi. THE energy drink that promises to give you wings is soaring high despite attempts by authorities to ground it. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |