Energy drink effects may cause label changes

The Monster Beverage Company based out of California has been cited in the deaths of five people this past year. In fact, emergency room visits involving caffeine-infused energy drinks increased 10-fold between 2005 and 2009, according to Bloomberg, sparking a national debate about whether the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) should be more restrictive on these products.

One death that’s been the catalyst for this has been that of Anais Fournier, a 14-year-old girl from Maryland who died of a “cardiac arrhythmia due to caffeine toxicity.” While the girl had a pre-existing genetic condition, doctors had not informed her to curb her caffeine consumption. Her mother, Wendy Crossland, has filed a lawsuit against the beverage company, alleging that the company does not properly warn against the health risks associated with its product on its custom labels.

“Monster does not believe that its beverages are in any way responsible for the death of Ms. Fournier. Monster is unaware of any fatality anywhere that has been caused by its drinks,” wrote Evan Pondel, company spokesman, in a statement emailed to media sources.

According to the New York Times, after hearing about the death of the Maryland teenager and the incident’s connection with caffeine toxicity, Senator Richard Durbin of Illinois wrote a letter in April to the FDA urging it to enforce caffeine levels on energy drinks. The FDA responded in August saying it had not yet seen sufficient evidence to take such a stand, but it also hadn’t received the medical reports of the teenager’s death.

As the FDA continues to receive reports on deaths and other incidents related to caffeine toxicity and energy drinks, many companies in this industry may benefit from investing in a Primera LX900 color label printer, which can produce new labels in a quick and efficient manner. These changes may be necessary if the FDA initiates new regulation on labeling in this market sector.