The United States Food and Drug Administration has agreed to review concerns about YouTube star Logan Paul’s energy drink following concerns raised by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer.
“The FDA has received the letter, is reviewing the concerns outlined in the letter, and will respond to the Senator directly,” the agency said in a statement, per The Hill.
Schumer sent a letter to the regulatory agency on July 9 questioning the caffeine content of PRIME energy drinks and potential dangers to consumers. He stressed his concern about Paul’s young audience.
“One of the summer’s hottest status symbols for kids is not an outfit, or a toy — it’s a beverage,” Schumer wrote to the FDA, per AP News. “But buyer and parents beware because it’s a serious health concern for the kids it so feverishly targets.”
“A simple search on social media for Prime will generate an eye-popping amount of sponsored content, which is advertising,” he added. “This content and the claims made should be investigated, along with the ingredients and the caffeine content in the Prime energy drink.”
PRIME was founded by Paul, a content creator with more than 23.6 million subscribers on YouTube, and KSI, a YouTuber and the CEO of Misfits Boxing, in 2022. Each bottle of PRIME has 200 milligrams of caffeine per 12 ounces. The caffeine content is the equivalent of two cans of red bull or six cans of Coca-Cola. The drinks are labeled with a warning to consumers that they are “not recommended for children under 18.”
The brand does sell a caffeine-free, hydration beverage.
While the FDA does not offer a specific limit for minors’ caffeine consumption, Columbia University Irving Medical Center warns that “caffeine has no nutritional value but plenty of side effects that negatively impact health.”
“Consuming caffeine not only interferes with regular development (acquisition of skills, emotional and social health, and more), it also instigates side effects that may have long-term health consequences if a child also has underlying health conditions, such as high blood pressure, chronic kidney disease, or anxiety disorders,” states the medical institution.
A representative for the company told CNBC that its product’s caffeine content is “comparable” to other “top selling energy drinks, all falling within the legal limit of the countries it’s sold in.” Additionally, the spokesperson said PRIME “complied with all FDA guidelines before hitting the market and states clearly on packaging, as well as in marketing materials, that it is an energy drink and is not made for anyone under the age of 18.”
“As a brand, our top priority is consumer safety, so we welcome discussions with the FDA or any other organization regarding suggested industry changes they feel are necessary in order to protect consumers,” PRIME added.
