The more the lawsuits pile up, the more the pressure grows on Monster. Technically, Monster Energy Drink isn’t a food product, it’s a dietary supplement which allows it to operate outside the rules of the Food and Drug Administration when it comes to caffeine content. However, a spate of hospitalizations related to energy drinks and a Monster-fueled heart attack for a 14-year-old has the company changing its tune. Monster is shifting from a supplement to a real drink, submitting itself to FDA regulations.
“The Company saw no reason to continue being subjected to erroneous and misguided criticism that its Monster Energy drinks are being marketed as dietary substances to avoid FDA regulation,” said a statement from Monster Beverage Corp. sent to ABC News.
There’s another move behind Monster’s shift, and it’s not to avoid further lawsuits. Red Bull, the leader in the energy drink category, is already considered a food. That means you can buy Red Bull with food stamps, don’t have to pay sales taxes on it, and that gives it greater space in store shelves. There’s a limit on caffeine amounts in soda, but Monster says that its ingredients will not change. However, they did not say if the amounts of their ingredients will change.
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