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Energy Drinks

What are energy drinks?

Energy drinks are non-alcoholic drinks containing ingredients such as glucose, caffeine or taurine, that provide functional benefits by boosting energy and alertness.

The BSDA's own code of practice for high caffeine content soft drinks relates to soft drinks that contain more than 150 mg of caffeine per litre.

Such drinks contain about as much caffeine as a cup of coffee.

How much caffeine is there in a high caffeine content soft drink?

Caffeine is found in many popular foods and drinks. The exact amount in any food or drink will depend on the recipe and method, e.g. how long a cup of tea is steeped, but the table below shows typical amounts.

Mug of filter coffee	140mg
Mug of instant coffee	100mg
Can of energy drink high in caffeine	80mg
Mug of tea	75mg
Small bar of chocolate	50mg
Can of cola	40mg

(figures from the Food Standards Agency)

What is the code of practice?

The code supports consumers and parents who want to make informed choices. It states the industry’s view that high caffeine content soft drinks are not suitable for children, and specifies that this information should be clearly stated on the label of such drinks. It also ensures that high caffeine soft drinks will not be promoted or marketed to those under 16.

Read the code of practice here.