The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has sent letters to 30 makers of caffeinated alcoholic beverages, often marketed as "alcoholic energy drinks" (AEDs), informing them that the agency intends to investigate the "safety and legality" of their products.
"The increasing popularity of consumption of caffeinated alcoholic beverages by college students and reports of potential health and safety issues necessitates that we look seriously at the scientific evidence as soon as possible," said FDA commissioner Dr. Joshua Sharfstein in press release.
The FDA decided to launch its investigation after receiving a letter from 18 Attorneys General and one city attorney expressing concerns about caffeinated alcoholic beverages.
In their letter to the FDA, the Attorneys General and city attorney state "there is a strong, emerging consensus of scientific opinion that the combination of caffeine and alcohol in AEDs has not been demonstrated to be safe, but rather poses a serious public health risk."
Under federal law, substances intentionally added to foods - like caffeine in an alcoholic beverage - is considered "unsafe" and unlawful unless it has been previously approved for use by the FDA, or is Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS). According to the FDA, caffeine in alcoholic beverages fits neither category. "For a substance to be GRAS, there must be evidence of its safety at the levels used and a basis to conclude that this evidence is generally known and accepted by qualified experts," stated the FDA.
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