Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
The FDA Is Being Asked to Look Into Influencer's Energy Drink Wildly Popular With Kids
gvw_ap_news
By Associated Press
Published 2 years ago on
July 10, 2023

Share

An influencer-backed energy drink that has earned viral popularity among children is facing scrutiny from lawmakers and health experts over its potentially dangerous levels of caffeine.

On Sunday, Sen. Charles Schumer called on the Food and Drug Administration to investigate PRIME, a beverage brand founded by the YouTube stars Logan Paul and KSI that has become something of an obsession among the influencers’ legions of young followers.

“One of the summer’s hottest status symbols for kids is not an outfit, or a toy—it’s a beverage,” said Schumer, a Democrat from New York. “But buyer and parents beware because it’s a serious health concern for the kids it so feverishly targets.”

Backed by two of YouTube’s best known stars, PRIME was an immediate sensation when it launched last year, prompting long lines in grocery stores and reports of school yard resale markets.

Advertising itself as zero sugar and vegan, the neon-colored cans are among a growing number of energy drinks with elevated levels of caffeine; in PRIME’s case, 200 milligrams per 12 ounces, equivalent to about half a dozen Coke cans or nearly two Red Bulls.

That high content prompted bans from some schools in the United Kingdom and Australia where some pediatricians warned of possible health impacts on young children such as heart problems, anxiety, and digestive issues.

Company representatives, meanwhile, have defended the product as clearly labeled “not recommended for children under 18.” They sell a separate sports drink, known as PRIME Hydration, which contains no caffeine at all. Representatives for PRIME did not immediately return a request for comment.

But in his letter to the FDA, Schumer claimed there was little noticeable difference in the online marketing of the two drinks – leading many parents to believe they were purchasing a juice for their kids, only to wind up with a “cauldron of caffeine.”

“A simple search on social media for Prime will generate an eye-popping amount of sponsored content, which is advertising,” he wrote. “This content and the claims made should be investigated, along with the ingredients and the caffeine content in the Prime energy drink.”

RELATED TOPICS:

DON'T MISS

Biden Won’t Enforce TikTok Ban, Official Says, Leaving Fate of App to Trump

DON'T MISS

Man With Stick Kills 2 Homeless People in Miami in ‘Unprovoked’ Attack, Police Say

DON'T MISS

FBI Closes Diversity Office, Reflects Broader Corporate Trend

DON'T MISS

School Is Safe Place for Kids Regardless of Immigration Status, Fresno Districts Say

DON'T MISS

Fresno County Crash Claims Life of 74-Year-Old Driver

DON'T MISS

Fresno Man Sentenced to Life for 2020 Murder Over 49ers Flag

DON'T MISS

US Recovers $31 Million in Federal Payments to Dead People

DON'T MISS

Planning Commission Says Fresno Smoke Shop Plan Hurts ‘Good’ Biz Owners. Arias Says PC Is ‘Out of Touch.’

DON'T MISS

American Accused of Assaulting Pennsylvania Student Extradited From France to US

DON'T MISS

Looking for His Father, a Worried Son Went to Fire Evacuation Zone but Found Death and Devastation

UP NEXT

Crunchy Is the Texture of the Moment and People Just Can’t Get Enough

UP NEXT

What Are You Sipping in 2025? These Beverage Trends Might Just Surprise You

UP NEXT

IRS Issues Stimulus Payments Again. Who Is Getting Them?

UP NEXT

Jimmy Carter Will Be Honored in Washington, a City Where He Remained an Outsider

UP NEXT

Even MAGA Needs Immigrants, It Seems

UP NEXT

The Jan. 6 Rioters, 4 Years Later

UP NEXT

Major US Winter Blast Shuts Down Schools and Government Offices in Several States

UP NEXT

Amazon Will Stream Melania Trump Documentary by Director Bruce Ratner

UP NEXT

From Georgia to Washington, Memorials Trace Jimmy Carter’s Life

UP NEXT

Newsom Executive Order Targets Ultra-Processed Foods, Synthetic Dyes

School Is Safe Place for Kids Regardless of Immigration Status, Fresno Districts Say

8 hours ago

Fresno County Crash Claims Life of 74-Year-Old Driver

8 hours ago

Fresno Man Sentenced to Life for 2020 Murder Over 49ers Flag

10 hours ago

US Recovers $31 Million in Federal Payments to Dead People

10 hours ago

Planning Commission Says Fresno Smoke Shop Plan Hurts ‘Good’ Biz Owners. Arias Says PC Is ‘Out of Touch.’

11 hours ago

American Accused of Assaulting Pennsylvania Student Extradited From France to US

11 hours ago

Looking for His Father, a Worried Son Went to Fire Evacuation Zone but Found Death and Devastation

11 hours ago

Netanyahu Postpones Cabinet Vote on Gaza Strip Ceasefire Deal

11 hours ago

Fresno Police Seek Help in Locating Missing At-Risk Teen

11 hours ago

Palestinians in Gaza Eager to Return Home in Ceasefire, but Many Will Find Nothing Left

11 hours ago

Biden Won’t Enforce TikTok Ban, Official Says, Leaving Fate of App to Trump

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden won’t enforce a ban on the social media app TikTok that is set to take effect a day before he leaves ...

8 hours ago

8 hours ago

Biden Won’t Enforce TikTok Ban, Official Says, Leaving Fate of App to Trump

8 hours ago

Man With Stick Kills 2 Homeless People in Miami in ‘Unprovoked’ Attack, Police Say

8 hours ago

FBI Closes Diversity Office, Reflects Broader Corporate Trend

8 hours ago

School Is Safe Place for Kids Regardless of Immigration Status, Fresno Districts Say

8 hours ago

Fresno County Crash Claims Life of 74-Year-Old Driver

Daniel Epimenio Gonzalez, 39, of Fresno, was sentenced to 75 years to life for the 2020 murder of Frank Rojas, sparked by a dispute over a 49ers flag. (GV Wire File)
10 hours ago

Fresno Man Sentenced to Life for 2020 Murder Over 49ers Flag

10 hours ago

US Recovers $31 Million in Federal Payments to Dead People

11 hours ago

Planning Commission Says Fresno Smoke Shop Plan Hurts ‘Good’ Biz Owners. Arias Says PC Is ‘Out of Touch.’

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend