FDA Targets Caffeinated Alcoholic Beverages

Posted on November 17, 2009 in Consumer Goods, Health & Medicine

The Food and Drug Administration has notified nearly 30 manufacturers that they intend to look into the safety of caffeinated alcoholic beverages. The companies must provide evidence that caffeine can safely be added to alcoholic drinks within 30 days.

Up to 26 percent of students on college campuses consume the beverages, according to previous studies cited in an FDA news release. As of now, the FDA has only approved caffeine as an additive to soft drinks in concentrations of no greater than 200 parts per million. If manufacturers fail to provide evidence of safety, the FDA will remove their products from the marketplace.

In the past year, companies including Anheuser-Busch and Miller agreed to stop production of caffeinated alcoholic beverages Tilt, Bud Extra and Sparks. Attorneys general in several states sued the companies with concerns that caffeine stimulates people to drink more.