The U.S. Food and Drug Administration confirmed on Wednesday the receipt
of reports that another caffeine drink, 5-hour Energy, may have been involved
in a number of deaths - in this case 13 over the past four years.
The reports were first detailed by the New York Times on Wednesday. The
news follows the FDA's disclosure last month that it was investigating reports
of five deaths that may be related to Monster Beverage's namesake drinks. The
highly caffeinated beverages are the fastest-growing type of soft drink in the
United States, with sales increasing 17 percent last year to about $9 billion,
according to Beverage Digest.
FDA spokeswoman Shelly Burgess said that 5-hour Energy, sold by Living
Essentials, has been mentioned in some 90 FDA filings since 2009, including
more than 30 that involved serious or life-threatening events like heart
attacks, convulsions, and in one case, a spontaneous abortion, the New York
Times reported. The Times said another federal agency, the Substance Abuse and
Mental Health Services Administration, reported late last year that more than
13,000 emergency room visits in 2009 were associated with energy drinks alone.
But Elaine Lutz, spokeswoman for Living Essentials, the company that
distributes 5-hour Energy, said in a statement that the product "is not an
energy drink" (the so-called shot comes in a bottle that holds less than 2
ounces). "Living Essentials," the statement went on, "takes
reports of any potential adverse event tied to our products very seriously. We
fully comply with all of our reporting requirements." The company was
"unaware of any deaths proven to have been caused by the consumption of
5-hour Energy." Currently the FDA does not publicly disclose adverse event
filings about dietary supplements, including energy shot drinks.
Source: Chicago Tribune
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