Doctors Urge F.D.A. to Restrict Caffeine in Energy Drinks

A group of 18 doctors, researchers and public health experts jointly urged the Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday to take action on energy drinks to protect adolescents and children from the possible risks of consuming high amounts of caffeine.

“There is evidence in the published scientific literature that the caffeine levels in energy drinks pose serious potential health risks,” the doctors and researchers wrote.In their letter to Dr. Margaret A. Hamburg, the F.D.A. commissioner, the group argued that energy drink makers had failed to meet the regulatory burden placed on them to show that the ingredients used in their beverages were safe, specifically where children, adolescents and young adults are concerned. As a result, the group urged the F.D.A. to restrict caffeine content in the products and to require manufacturers to include caffeine content on product labels.

A similar letter was sent to the agency by the San Francisco city attorney, Dennis J. Herrera, who is one of several public officials conducting investigations of the energy-drink industry.

Energy drink makers have insisted their products are safe and that their levels of caffeine, a stimulant, are on a par with other widely consumed drinks, like coffee.

The F.D.A. has said that it is safe for adults to consume about 400 milligrams of caffeine daily, though many experts say that most adults can consume 600 milligrams or more of caffeine without ill effect. A 16-ounce cup of Starbucks coffee has about 330 milligrams of caffeine, an amount about twice that of some similarly sized energy drinks.

Less is known about the safe level of caffeine for a young teenager, experts say, apart from the fact that it is considered to be lower than for an adult. In their letter Tuesday to Dr. Hamburg, the group of researchers and scientists also pointed out that makers of energy drinks aggressively marketed their products to young teenagers and urged them to consume the drinks quickly.

In recent years, the number of reported emergency-room visits in which an energy drink was cited as the primary cause of a health problem, or a contributing factor, has grown sharply. In 2011, there were 20,783 such visits, compared with 10,068 in 2007. Problems typically linked to excessive caffeine consumption can include anxiety, headaches, irregular heartbeats and heart attacks.

Monster Beverage Says No Link Between Caffeine and Teen's Death

Monster was sued last year by the family of Maryland teenager Anais Fournier, who died after suffering from cardiac arrest her family says was related to her drinking two Monster Energy drinks on consecutive days. They sued Monster for failing to warn about the alleged dangers of the drink.

Following the suit, Monster hired a group of doctors to study whether the caffeine from the drinks contributed to her death.

The company said on Monday that its doctors found "no medical, scientific or factual evidence to support the Maryland Medical Examiner's report of 'caffeine toxicity,'" said Daniel Callahan, a lawyer for Monster. He said no blood tests were ever done to test her blood's caffeine levels.

Kevin Goldberg, a lawyer for the Fourniers, told Reuters there were other symptoms of caffeine toxicity, though he declined to elaborate.

"We have our experts and they have their experts," Goldberg said, adding that it was "not appropriate ... to litigate the case in the media."

The lawsuit said Fournier died from "cardiac arrhythmia due to caffeine toxicity" that complicated an existing heart valve condition related to a disorder called Ehlers-Danlos syndrome.

Monster's doctors said the most likely cause of Fournier's death was myocarditis, inflammation of the heart muscle. They said that would not have been exacerbated by caffeine.

Energy drinks are caffeinated beverages with aggressive-sounding names like Monster, Red Bull, Rockstar, AMP and Full Throttle. They are often associated with active or extreme sports, which makes them popular with young men.

In addition to the Fournier lawsuit, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said in October that it was investigating reports of five deaths that might have been associated with Monster's namesake drink.

Monster shares were down 97 cents, or 1.9 percent at $49.69 on the Nasdaq.

(Reporting by Martinne Geller in New York; Editing by Nick Zieminski and Phil Berlowitz)