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Tag: monster energy

  • Lawsuit Claims Monster Energy Drinks Are Unsafe

    Monster drinks have been gaining in popularity over the last few years and nowadays it’s hard to go anywhere without seeing someone drinking one of these energy beverages. While there are numerous energy drink brands out there, Monster is one of the most popular, especially with teenagers.

    While a recent lawsuit aims to stop energy drink companies such as the Monster Beverage Corp from marketing their energy products to children, health experts say the drinks are harmful to everyone, not just teens and youngsters.

    Caffeinated Monster drinks contain on average, 240 mg of caffeine. That is over half of what is recommended for adults on a daily basis and more than double the recommended intake for children and teens. Considering most adults drink other caffeinated beverages throughout the day, including sodas and coffee, an energy drink can easily cause the average person to consume unsafe amounts of caffeine each day.

    When it comes to energy drinks, adults are expected to know better than to fall for advertising gimmicks and to avoid consuming too many caffeinated beverages. Children and teens on the other hand, are much more easily influenced by television commercials and advertisements.

    According to San Francisco attorney Dennis Herrera, who has filed a lawsuit against the Monster Beverage Corp, the company is aware that the ingredients used in their energy drinks are unsafe, but have failed to warn consumers of the risks involved with drinking the energy drinks.
    Monster released a statement about the lawsuit saying,

    “The sale and consumption of more than 10 billion Monster energy drinks worldwide over more than 11 years has shown that our products are safe. Contrary to allegations, they are not “highly caffeinated” and they are not marketed to children. In fact, a 16-ounce Monster Energy drink contains less than half the caffeine of a 16-oz (medium) size cup of Starbucks brewed coffee. Monster’s labels state: “Consume responsibly: Not recommended for children, people sensitive to caffeine, pregnant women or women who are nursing.”

    The FDA believes that caffeine itself is the real problem and not just energy drinks. It is the opinion of the energy drink companies and many consumers that the task of ensuring that children and teens do not drink energy drinks falls on the parents.

    What do you think?

    Image via Wikimedia Commons.

  • Monster Energy Drinks Investigated By Attorneys

    Your company may want to stop pushing the envelope of your product if it has a history for being a potential causation of five deaths from reports by the Food and Drug Administration.

    Monster Beverage Corporation, the makers of the popular Monster Energy drink has been pitted against the combined forces of east and west: a New York state attorney general and San Francisco city attorney are investigating the company’s marketing towards children.

    San Francisco City Attorney Dennis Herrera and New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman joined forces last month after a federal judge in California tossed out a lawsuit filed by Monster; the company wanted to stop Herrera’s ongoing investigation that first began in 2012.

    Herrera filed a lawsuit against the company that claimed that Monster Energy drinks posed serious health issues as well as violating California state law by misbranding and marketing them towards children.

    Roughly 3,000 miles away in New York, Scheniderman issued subpoenas to multiple energy-drink makers as well as Monster as part of his ongoing investigation.

    “We are disappointed that Monster has remained defiant in marketing products to children,” Herrera said. “We hope this effort will cause the company to correct its irresponsible marketing practices.”

    Monster Beverage Corporation didn’t have an immediate comment on the joint effort, spokesperson Tammy Taylor said.

    Hold the tall large aluminum can of Monster and look closely and you’ll find a warning for all:

    (image)

    Not not that… this:

    (image)

    “Limit 3 cans per day. Not recommended for children, pregnant women, or people sensitive to caffeine.”

    Yet despite the disclaimer, Herrera asserts that the company pushes its product on minors.

    According kidshealth.org, at most, minors should ingest no more than 100 mg of caffeine per day.

    In December 2011, 14 year old Anais Fournier died of cardiac arrest due to caffeine toxicity after consistently consuming two 710 ml cans (3 cups) of Monster Energy per day. The combined amount of Fournier’s daily caffeine intake was 475 mg (14 cans of Coca Cola). It should be noted that Fournier had a pre-existing heart condition known as Ehlers-Danlos syndrome.

    Like a record, Monster has stated repeatedly that its drinks are safe, claiming ignorance of any deaths caused by its products.

    “As a company, we vehemently deny that drinking two cans of Monster Energy by itself can cause a death from caffeine toxicity,” the company said to WRC-TV back in 2012.

    What do you think? Kid friendly?

    Update: Spokesperson Tamara Taylor of Sitrick And Company said in an email to WebProNews that:

    “The sale and consumption of more than 10 billion Monster energy drinks worldwide over more than 11 years has shown that our products are safe. Contrary to allegations, they are not “highly caffeinated” and they are not marketed to children. In fact, a 16-ounce Monster Energy drink contains less than half the caffeine of a 16-oz (medium) size cup of Starbucks brewed coffee. Monster’s labels state: “Consume responsibly: Not recommended for children, people sensitive to caffeine, pregnant women or women who are nursing.”

    Images via Hoax Slayer, World Truth, Forbes, American Live Wire