Alcoholic Energy Drinks “Adulterated”

Here’s the next installment about caffeine/alcohol drinks. The New York Times (11/16, A14, Goodnough, Frosch) reported, “A year after it began reviewing whether energy drinks that combine alcohol and caffeine are safe or legal, the Food and Drug Administration is expected to take a stand on the drinks as soon as Wednesday, according to law enforcement officials in several states.” Although “the agency declined to say what it would do…several food safety lawyers who once worked for it said a likely option was to use warning letters to inform manufacturers that the drinks were adulterated and, therefore, not safe.” Meanwhile, some have “have criticized the FDA for not completing its review sooner.”

“Adulteration” is a legal term meaning that a food product fails to meet federal or state standards. Adulteration usually refers to noncompliance with health or safety standards as determined, in the United States, by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

Other foods that have received this designation include: contaminated pet foods from China; honey treated with a dangerous antibiotic, also from China, and dietary supplements with unsafe additives. In other words, adulteration is a serious situation. Our advice? Stay away from caffeine/alcohol energy drinks.

Read more: https://www.answers.com/topic/adulteration-of-food#ixzz15vKXLCnS.