US Senator calls for probe into Prime energy drink

A top Democrat in the United States Senate has called on the Food and Drug Administration to investigate the Prime Energy Drink over its high caffeine content.

Senate Majority Leader, Chuck Schumer, has urged the US health regulator to investigate the beverage that has proved very popular among children and the youth, even in South Africa.

Some US lawmakers are concerned the beverage company is targeting young people.

Senator Schumer has called the drink a status symbol for kids, warning parents to beware, labelling it a serious health concern for the children that he argues Prime so feverishly targets.

“It’s called Prime. We’re here today to issue a public warning to parents about their kids drinking this drink called Prime and two, we’re here to ask the FDA to step in and investigate Prime, which is one of the summer’s hottest beverage sensations for kids.”

The drink is backed by two of YouTube’s top stars, Logan Paul and KSI, and lawmakers are particularly interested in the marketing tactics for the drink.

The caffeine content in a Prime energy drink is reportedly equivalent to six cans of coke or nearly two Red Bulls, as the senator explains.

“What is specifically targeted at kids but has more caffeine than a cup of coffee? More caffeine than a can of Coke, more caffeine than even a Red Bull. And what has more caffeine? This new summer sensation drink aimed at kids called Prime. More caffeine even than Red Bull. In fact, it has double the caffeine…more than double the caffeine of Red Bull and more than triple the caffeine of a can of Coca Cola. A lot of parents may have never heard of it, but their kids have because Prime is engaged in an advanced advertising campaign aimed at kids. Even though kids aren’t supposed to drink a drink with this much caffeine. This has the equivalent of six cans of Coke in terms of caffeine.”

The Prime Brand offers a bottled hydration drink that has no caffeine at all and a canned energy drink with a label not recommending it for children under the age of 18.

However, Schumer wants the FDA to investigate among others the caffeine content of the energy drink and whether they come with sufficient warnings and labels, in addition to examining its target market of children.

The company said in a statement that Prime Energy complied with FDA guidelines before the product hit the market, and that its warning labels are on the company’s packaging and marketing.