Ministry cracks down on energy drink sales

The Ministry of Economy has ordered energy drink producers, distributors and outlets to record their sales starting next August.

The month of July will be a grace period for all involved parties to prepare the necessary sales bills.

Dr Hashim Al Nuaimi, Director of Consumer Protection Department, said in a news conference yesterday that the Higher Committee of Consumer Protection has recommended in its recent meeting that a mechanism be worked out for dealing with energy drinks.

This recommendation followed a report from the Ministry of Health about a number of deaths attributed to energy drinks in countries across the world. Also, the report noted that many countries have a ban on energy drink consumption by under-18s, pregnant women and allergy patients. This is in addition to recommending not taking energy drinks while exhausted or practising sports, he said. The ministry held four meetings during the second quarter this year with the importers and producers of the five largest companies, he said.

"We have come to an agreement with 'Red Bull' that it would prepare an educational leaflet and distribute it with the product. It was also agreed to limit selling energy drinks at certain outlets. These outlets should place a directive board in a clear area, so that consumers can read it prior to buying," he said calling on consumers to read labels of food items to protect their health.

On the subject of young people below the age of 16 buying energy drinks from grocery shops and cafeterias without any control or awareness, Al Nuaimi said that the ministry has ordered outlets not to sell energy drinks to those below 16.

He said the ministry will check the records at these outlets to find out who they are selling to, along with the number of items sold. "Outlets that violate this rule will be fined," he warned.

This rule aims to protect the rights of consumers and enforce follow-up measures by the department about the effects of foodstuff on consumers around the world.

Al Nuaimi said the UAE standards and conditions regarding energy drinks will become compulsory from October 29 as per the Cabinet decision No 8 of 2010.

The new standards stipulate that the maximum allowed rates of the substances used for manufacturing energy drinks are: caffeine 32mg, taurine not more than 400mg, anisole not more than 20mg, gluconolactone 240mg. The decision has also banned import, production and dealing in these produces unless the activity is registered with accredited health authorities.

The UAE's technical regulation of foodstuff requires labels on energy drink containers to clearly say that pregnant women and nursing mothers, people below 16, athletes or those who have caffeine allergy and/or heart problems should not drink it.