HARK & HARK
Hark & Hark1101 ROUTE 70 WEST
CHERRY HILL, NJ 08002
856-354-0050
JEFF@HARKLAWNJ.COM
On Tuesday, November 16, 2010, the maker of Four Loko, a caffeinated liquor and malt beverage, announced the company’s intent to reformulate its products to remove caffeine, guarana and taurine nationwide. From this point onward only non-caffeinated versions of Four Loko will be available. The company’s co-founders released the following statement:
Amid speculation that the Food and Drug Administration would be issuing new regulations regarding caffeinated liquor and malt beverages in response to recent deaths involving these types of beverages, the FDA instead issued warning letters on November 17, 2010 to four makers of caffeinated alcoholic beverages. The FDA warned the four companies that the caffeine added to their malt alcoholic beverages is an “unsafe food additive” and said that further action, including seizure of their products, is possible under federal law.
The FDA’s action follows a scientific review by the Agency which commenced in November 2009 when the FDA sent a request to manufacturers to provide information on the safety of adding caffeine to their products. The FDA also performed its own independent laboratory analysis of these products and found no support for the claim that the “addition of caffeine to alcoholic beverages are ‘generally recognized as safe,’ which is the legal standard.” Experts have raised concerns that caffeine can mask some of the sensory cues individuals might normally rely on to determine their level of intoxication. The FDA said peer-reviewed studies suggest that the consumption of beverages containing added caffeine and alcohol is associated with risky behaviors that may lead to hazardous and life-threatening situations.
IF YOU WANT TO SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT, I WOULD BE HAPPY TO MEET WITH YOU ANYTIME.
Sincerely,Jeffrey Hark
Hark & Hark