The Science and Technology Committee have held a public meeting with Steve Brine MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Public Health and Primary Care energy drinks and nutrition experts. The Committee's inquiry will contribute to the Government’s recently announced consultation into energy drinks and children.
The session focused on the research and scientific evidence on any safe level of consumption of energy drinks for children, the advertisement framework and possible regulatory changes in the future. Witnesses included Monster Energy Company, Andrew Taylor, Regulatory Policy Executive, Committees of Advertising Practice, Dr John Thompson, The Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment (COT), and Dr Kevin Hargin, Head of Food Hygiene and Animal Health Policy Unit, Food Standards Agency.
The panel discussed EFSA's recommendation of 3 mg per kg as a standard of safety level of caffeine consumption for children and whether this was the right approach and whether this was useful to parents. It was noted that these these recommendations were based on adult intake as there was lack of evidence of health risk for children and that children metabolise caffeine more quickly than adults. The panel also discussed the effect of caffeine on behaviour.
Watch a recording of the debate.
