Every once in a while we see a spike in media coverage surrounding energy drinks.  This past week was one of those times, so we thought we'd address some of the misinformation that's out there. Many people enjoy energy drinks - some for the taste, some for the caffeine.  But, as for the latter, it's important to put their caffeine content in perspective.  In fact, most mainstream energy drinks contain about half the caffeine of a similar size cup of coffeehouse coffee.  In fact, in the Washington Post’s health and nutrition blog, "The Checkup," Jennifer LaRue Huget wrote that it seems odd that the energy drink category has been singled out despite this information.

Still, on occasion, we hear of a policymaker who seeks to ban these drinks for certain populations because of their caffeine content.  We wonder, will they also restrict the sale of coffee for the same reasons? After all, someone standing in line for coffee at the corner coffeehouse is about to get twice as much caffeine than from an energy drink.  Even so, it's important to remember that caffeine has been in the human diet for many years, is one of the most tested ingredients in today’s food supply and has been deemed safe for human consumption by regulatory agencies around the world.

Our member companies meet all government labeling regulations, listing caffeine on product labels when it is added as an ingredient. And for years, ABA member companies have provided caffeine content information through their Web sites and consumer hotlines. In addition, some of our member companies voluntarily list the amount of caffeine directly on a product's label.