Sen. Chuck Schumer has called on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to investigate the high-caffeine beverage Prime Energy.
According to a Reuters report, the Prime brand owned by Louisville, Kentucky-based Congo Brands and promoted by social media influencer and occasional WWE wrestler Logan Paul and English rapper-boxer KSI ”“ both celebrities have large youth followings. The brand includes Prime Energy, which has 200 milligrams of caffeine, which is equal to nearly two Red Bulls or six cans of Coca-Cola, as well as a non-caffeinated hydration drink in similar packaging.
Although the brand has a consumer warning that the Prime Energy product is not recommended for those under the age of 18, Schumer insisted during a press conference that the company was target marketing this version to children.
“Buyer and parents beware, because it”™s a serious health concern for the kids it so feverishly targets,” said the New York Democrat. “This is an eye-popping level of caffeine for a young kid’s body.”
Schumer added, “Because the product is billed as a hydration and sports drink in its other, near-identical form, kids are likely to ingest cans of this stuff with the parents being unaware.”
The company told Reuters that Prime Energy complied with FDA guidelines regarding packaging and marketing.
“We welcome discussions with the FDA or any other organization regarding suggested industry changes they feel are necessary in order to protect consumers,” the company said in a statement.
Photo: Logan Paul in an online video advertisement for Prime Energy.
