Energy Drinks: Children

(asked on 9th January 2018) - View Source

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans the Government has to restrict the sale of energy drink products to children under 16.


Answered by
Steve Brine Portrait
Steve Brine
This question was answered on 15th January 2018

Energy drinks can be high in caffeine and sugar. Based on the current evidence on the safety of caffeine, the Food Standard Agency advises that children, or other people sensitive to caffeine, should consume caffeine only in moderation.

In its review of the evidence on “Carbohydrates and Health” (2015), the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) concluded that the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages, as compared with non-calorically sweetened beverages, results in greater weight gain and increases in body mass index. Consuming too many sugary drinks can also cause tooth decay. In light of these findings, SACN recommended that the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (for example, sugary fizzy drinks, soft drinks and squash) should be minimised by both children and adults.

Key measures in our world-leading childhood obesity plan, launched in August 2016, include the soft drinks industry levy and sugar reduction and wider reformulation programme, which will encourage the food and drink industry to reduce the amount of sugar in products popular with children, including energy drinks.

The Government will continue to monitor the situation and any new emerging scientific evidence on the consumption of energy drinks.

“Carbohydrates and Health” is available at:

www.gov.uk/government/publications/sacn-carbohydrates-and-health-report

Reticulating Splines