Prime Energy, the influencer-backed drink that has become a viral playground hit, is facing scrutiny over its potentially dangerous levels of caffeine.
A US senator has called on the country’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to investigate Prime Energy, which contains 200mg of caffeine per can – the equivalent of about two cans of Red Bull or six cans of Coke.
“One of the summer’s hottest status symbols for kids is not an outfit, or a toy – it’s a beverage,” senator Charles Schumer said.
He called the drink a “serious health concern for the kids it so feverishly targets”.
Prime drinks were created by YouTubers KSI and Logan Paul. The sale of the drinks has sparked chaos at supermarkets since their launch.
People were filmed pushing and shoving to get their hands on the Prime Hydration drink and KSI urged people to stop buying the drink at hugely inflated prices after reports bottles were going for up to £100 each.
There are two types of Prime drinks: Hydration, which contains no caffeine, and Energy, which does.
Prime representatives have defended the energy drink as clearly labelled “not recommended for children under 18”.
But in his letter to the FDA, Mr Schumer claimed there was little noticeable difference in the online marketing of the two drinks – leading many parents to believe they were buying a juice for their child, only to wind up with a “cauldron of caffeine”.
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“A simple search on social media for Prime will generate an eye-popping amount of sponsored content, which is advertising,” he wrote.
“This content and the claims made should be investigated, along with the ingredients and the caffeine content in the Prime energy drink.”
