FDA laying potential smack down on Energy drinks that contain alcohol.
 

I already knew this was a bad, bad, idea. I really do think some people either do not know what the A stands for in FDA. Either that or the figured that they agency would remain a lame duck office like it had been during the past 8 years, an agency that fucks up even major cases and would be to busy or understaffed to give a shit about some small energy drink makers. (sort of reminds me of the attitude of webmasters and 2257 in the past).

Story stolen from the AP but you can visit any free news site such as CBS News.

Yes a bit long but some of you can even blame Obama so get your facts in order to attack him.

(AP) The Food and Drug Administration is challenging makers of alcohol-infused energy drinks to prove their beverages are safe, citing complaints that the products can cause risky behavior and injury.

The FDA issued a letter Friday to 30 beverage manufacturers, giving them 30 days to provide evidence that the combination of caffeine and alcohol is safe.

"Today the FDA has listed caffeine only as an ingredient for use in soft drinks," said Deputy Commissioner Dr. Joshua Sharfstein. "The agency has not approved caffeine for use in alcoholic beverages."

FDA officials stressed they have not reached a conclusion about the safety of beverages like Joose and Charge. Instead they are trying to understand the companies' legal rationale for marketing the products.

"There are some unusual safety questions raised by the addition of caffeine to these alcoholic beverages," said FDA special adviser Mike Taylor. "So the burden is on the companies to provide evidence that supports the conclusion this use is safe."

The FDA decided to take action at the urging of state attorneys general from New York, California, Maryland and 16 other states, who contend the drinks appeal to underage drinkers and encourage reckless behavior. Young adults already are the primary demographic for highly caffeinated drinks like Red Bull.

Larger brewers like Anheuser-Busch already have removed caffeine from their alcoholic energy drinks. Remaining manufacturers include smaller firms like Los Angeles-based Joose Beverage and Portland, Ore.-based Charge Beverages.

Calls placed to those companies Friday were not immediately returned. Other companies receiving the FDA letter include: Mix Master Beverage Co. of Stateline, Nev., Blank Beverages Co. of San Diego, Calif., and Phusion Projects LLC of Chicago.

The market for caffeinated alcoholic drinks is about 1 percent of the total beer industry, making its annual sales about $1 billion, said Eric Shepard, executive editor of trade publication Beer Marketer's Insights.

The companies could fight back against the FDA request by noting that their products already were approved by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, Shepard said.

However, FDA officials suggested on a call with reporters that the Treasury Department bureau would defer to the FDA on product safety questions. A spokesman for the bureau said the agency requested and fully supports the FDA's action.

MillerCoors in December agreed to remove caffeine and three other ingredients from Sparks, the top-selling alcoholic energy drink at the time. The company agreed to pay $550,000 to cover the cost of the investigation by 13 state attorneys general.

In June 2008, St. Louis-based Anheuser-Busch, now Anheuser-Busch InBev, agreed to reformulate its Tilt and Bud Extra drinks to remove the stimulants as part of a settlement with 11 attorneys general.

Consumer health advocates like the Center for Science in the Public Interest, which has filed lawsuits against makers of alcoholic energy drinks, cheered the FDA action.

"These beverages create alert drunks," said George Hacker, the center's director for alcohol policy. "People think they can drive, think they can handle things because they're not feeling impaired, when in fact they are."

The announcement Friday marks the second time in less than a month that the FDA has taken up an issue championed by Hacker's group. Three weeks ago, the FDA warned that nutritional logos on groceries are misleading consumers about the actual health benefits of processed foods.

"It's really refreshing to see government performing its duties once again," Hacker said.

President Barack Obama tapped FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg and Sharfstein earlier this year to try and restore the agency's credibility, after a string of bungled food and drug safety issues.

I'm waiting for them to start being linked to liver and kidney failures in about 10 years or so..No way are those energy drinks good for you.

It would have to be via a private lawsuit. The FDA does not regulate energy drinks, or herbal pills at this time. Just like
how the penis people can sell their shit. I did recall a set of scientist and doctors who want the FDA to regulate them. I searched and found a story.
Request for FDA to watch energy drinks - late last year.

Yeah I can't believe people put that shit in their body

If you need energy eat some food :)

it's a bad idea to mix alcohol with things that keep you awake longer to drink more alcohol.... I'm glad these drinks weren't around when I was a teenager

Two cans of Coke/Pepsi have the same caffeine as a small Red-Bull.


.

redbull + vodka = a pretty fucking nice drink

How can they regulate it?

1. go to the store,
2. get some energy drink,
3. get some vodka or other spirit,
4. get glass,
5. put the 2 together

Result: oh look I made it myself!

Unless they outlaw or regulate it seperately they can't get rid of alchoholic energy drinks. Perhaps the sale of them in a made format yes, but not the drink itself.

eh? that's the great thing about hard drugs, they keep me up so i can drink more.

:)

You missed it until your last line. You can mix piss with your drink if you wish, they will not care. This is about the Energy drink companies making premixed energy drinks that contain alcohol.
The FDA explained that they have not approved caffeine for the use in alcohol based drinks. Perhaps that is why I never seen a whatever alcohol and coke in a can or bottle, well that and it could go flat or well I do not know. Just know lots of people mix cola and alcohol.

It does have nothing to do with make it yourself beverages. Unless of course you are mass producing it or making the alcohol in limits beyond what is allowed.

Woot got a new recipe to try out

Thanks :thumbsup

:2 cents::thumbsup:thumbsup:thumbsup:thumbsup:thumbsu p

They are just looking for some payoffs.

It's like how the FDA allows the food companies to print 0g trans fats if there is under 0.5g per serving. So they get the serving size down to 0.49g and print a big "0g Trans Fats!" on the front. All allowed by the FDA.

Nah I think it is more of a reputation clean up. Considering how badly they handled several of the vegetable issues, and also the peanut butter issues. Especially since one state just announced last or this (drugged) that the FDA nor others bothered to notify they school districts in whatever state it was of the recall.

That was more of a label law and there are several agencies that participate. I think you have to round up though. So .5 would be 1 or left .5 and .4 would become 0. Mostly because it is negligible anyways. Wait you said the same about rounding up and down. Sorry I am a dweeb that is waiting on a nurse and i REALLY need sleep.

These energy drinks do scare me much more than micro units of some ingredient. iI was not that aware of the already mixed alcohol ones. The normal ones scare me but they are legal. I know people already mix them too. It is just that many young people pound these. I know this one kid, ok he was in his twenties. Anyway he would drink between 10 and 20 redbulls and parties often. The redbull consumption is not party mode either. Party mode you can add in another 10-15 redbull and vodka's.

Irish Coffee recipe

1 1/2 oz Irish whiskey
1 tsp brown sugar
6 oz hot coffee
heavy cream