Should energy “shots” be regulated the same way as energy drinks?
In 2012, Health Canada transitioned caffeinated energy drinks from Natural Health Product to Food and Drug classification and regulations, implementing temporary guidelines with requirements such as caffeine content limits, mandatory cautionary labelling, and restrictions on health claims. “Energy shots” often contain as much or more caffeine compared to energy drinks and have been associated with a similar number of adverse health events. However, current requirements for energy drinks do not apply to energy shots, which remain classified as “natural health products” on the basis that they are “not consumed or perceived as foods” in the same way as energy drinks.
As part of our national surveys on energy drinks, we examined consumer perceptions and patterns of use of energy shots.
Read the papers:
Use and perceptions of caffeinated energy drinks and energy shots in Canada.
Wiggers D, Reid JL, White CM. Hammond D.
American Journal of Preventive Medicine 2017; July 26 [Epub ahead of print] doi: 10.1016/j.amepre.2017.05.02
If it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck…Energy “shots” should be regulated as energy drinks in Canada.
Hammond D, Reid JL.
Canadian Journal of Public Health 2016; 107 (1):e133-e135.
