Manufacturers directed to take ‘energy’ out of drinks

PFA says energy drinks are misleading on both scientific and technical grounds

LAHORE: The Punjab Food Authority (PFA) has directed beverage manufacturers not to use word ‘energy' on their highly caffeinated drinks, commonly marketed as energy drinks under different brand names across the country.

The provincial food authority has underlined that words ‘energy drink' are misleading on both scientific and technical grounds. These words have created an impression among the general public that these highly caffeinated drinks give a quick boost to energy level so they consume these beverages without knowing their harmful side-effects.

The authority has issued a list of comprehensive directions to all beverage manufacturers and distributor marketing such products in Punjab. As per new directions, the authority has banned the use of word ‘energy' of beverage packaging. The food watchdog has directed beverage manufacturers to clearly print on their products, in both Urdu and English languages, that this is a ‘highly caffeinated drink' and ‘not suitable for children under 12 and pregnant women'.



The authority has also direct beverage manufacturers to mention word ‘halal' besides printing ‘persons having allergy from caffeine should not consume this drink'.

PFA experts have also barred manufacturers to use pharmaceutical ingredients in these drinks and the level of caffeine should not exceed 200 ppm (parts per million). All companies have been bound to get their products certified as halal from the relevant authority.

After thorough research on all such products, experts of the PFA scientific panel have highlighted that high quantity of caffeine is used in the manufacturing of the beverages. These so-called energy drinks are very harmful for youth under 12 and pregnant expecting mothers.

PFA has given eight months' business adjustment time to all manufacturers after which the authority will take stern action against manufacturers of the products besides confiscating of their stocks from the open market and their warehouses.

The authority is continuously monitoring these so-called energy drinks for past several months and have conducted various raids and discarded thousands of units of various brands for not adhering labeling regulations of the PFA.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 2^nd, 2018.