(Montreal) An energy drink containing a lot of caffeine and promoted by American influencers on social media is the subject of a recall in Canada.
According to Health Canada, Prime Energy Drink, which contains 200 mg of caffeine per can, exceeds the allowable limit of 180 mg and should therefore not be sold in Canada.
The federal agency has learned that the “Prime Energy” drink – which is different from the widely distributed “Prime Hydration” drink – could be sold in some stores in Canada without federal approval.
Health Canada says all energy drinks containing caffeine are considered “supplemented foods” and are therefore regulated by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), which issued a recall notice Wednesday evening for various brands. , including “Prime Energy”.
Both agencies are working to resolve the issue, Health Canada said in an email.
Prime Hydration is the caffeine-free version of Prime Energy and is one of several energy drinks popular with teenagers.
Hugely popular influencers Logan Paul and KSI co-founded ‘Prime’ and they have been widely criticized for promoting these products online to millions of young people who follow them on social media.
Health Canada recommends a maximum of 2.5 milligrams of caffeine per kilogram of body weight for young people up to age 18.
For comparison, a can of Coca-Cola contains 34 mg of caffeine, six times less than the amount contained in a can of “Prime Energy”.
The dangers of caffeine
Jennifer House, a registered dietitian in Calgary, says parents often worry about their kids getting too much sugar.
But she believes caffeinated drinks could be a bigger problem, as very young children, like her nine-year-old son, are bombarded with ads for “Prime Energy” when watching videos online.
According to Mme House says parents should talk to their kids about the negative effects of caffeine, including trouble sleeping, but it’s even harder with teenagers, like her 16-year-old son, because they tend to get by alone and follow what their friends are doing.
“They make their own choices and it’s not really something you can control. So we have to let Health Canada sort that out a bit,” she says, adding that the choice of energy drinks in general seems endless.
“When my son was in tenth grade, he told me that the vending machines at school were full of energy drinks. »
Health Canada indicates on its website that anyone who has had health problems after consuming a caffeinated energy drink must report it to the CFIA, as is the case for other foods.
Other caffeinated beverages recalled by the CFIA are 3D Alphaland, 5 hour, Celsius, GFuel and Sting.
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