NEW YORK (AP) — Legislators and health experts are looking into the caffeine content of an influencer-backed energy drink that has gone viral among children due to its potentially harmful levels.
Sen. Charles Schumer called on the Food and Drug Administration to investigate PRIME, the beverage brand started by Logan Paul and KSI, two YouTube stars, who have amassed a large number of young followers.
Schumer, a Democrat from New York, stated, “One of the summer’s hottest status symbols for kids is not an outfit or a toy—it’s a beverage.” However, buyers and parents should exercise caution due to the serious health risk it poses to the children it so fervently targets.
Supported by two of YouTube’s most popular stars, PRIME was a quick sensation when it sent off keep going year, provoking long queues in supermarkets and reports of school yard resale markets.
The neon-colored cans, which claim to be vegan and free of sugar, are one of an increasing number of energy drinks with high caffeine levels; In the case of PRIME, 200 milligrams per 12 ounces, or about six cans of Coke or nearly two Red Bulls.
Because of its high content, some schools in the United Kingdom and Australia banned it, and some pediatricians warned that young children could suffer from heart problems, anxiety, and digestive issues.
Organization agents, in the interim, have safeguarded the item as plainly marked “not suggested for youngsters under 18.” They sell a different games drink, known as PRIME Hydration, which contains no caffeine by any stretch of the imagination. A request for clarification was not immediately answered by PRIME representatives.
However, Schumer claimed in his letter to the FDA that there was little discernible difference between the two drinks’ online marketing, leading many parents to believe they were purchasing a juice for their children only to receive a “cauldron of caffeine.”
“A basic quest via web-based entertainment for Prime will create an eye-popping measure of supported content, which is promoting,” he composed. ” This substance and the cases made ought to be examined, alongside the fixings and the caffeine content in the Great caffeinated drink.”