Some energy drinks sold in South Australian stores have double the maximum permitted level of caffeine, health authorities found during a recent blitz.
About 700 highly caffeinated energy drinks were seized during the crackdown by South Australian health authorities on businesses selling non-compliant products.
SA Health found some drinks contained levels of caffeine equivalent to nine cans of Coca-Cola or three shots of coffee.
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Consuming large amount of caffeine can cause insomnia, anxiety and depression as well as cardiovascular issues, heartburn, ulcers, seizures and in rare cases, death.
University of South Australia director of the nutrition and food sciences Dr Evangeline Mantzioris warned children and pregnant women were at greater risk of these side effects.
“For those under 18, they have limited ability to breakdown caffeine in the body, so caffeine stays in the body for longer periods of time, therefore heightening the risk of heart problems, increasing the risk of anxiety, increasing insomnia and also potentially causing nausea,” Mantzioris said.
“Caffeine does go through the placenta barrier, and it does go into the foetus’s blood supply and of course, the young unborn child has even less ability to break down the caffeine,” she said.
More than 100 stores were inspected as part of the blitz, and 18 businesses were found to be selling non-compliant drinks.
Thirteen businesses were issued warning letters and two were fined a total of $3000 when they did not remove the products following warnings.
Authorities also traced the suppliers of the drinks and seized non-compliant products from them.
Under the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code, it is illegal to sell energy drinks which contain more than 320mg/L of caffeine.
Mantzioris said adults should not have more than 400mg of caffeine daily — the equivalent of two coffees.
Pregnant and breastfeeding woman should not exceed 200 mg, and children should be restricted to 3mg per kilogram of body weight daily.
Some of the brands with the most caffeine that were confiscated during the blitz were GFUEL, Bang and Raze Energy.
SA Health found some product lines by these brands contained 300mg of caffeine in a 473ml can.
Other brands that also exceeded the permitted amount of caffeine were C4, Ghost, Ryse Fuel, 3D and Redcon1.
These contained 200mg in a 473ml can.
Acting Chief Public Health Officer, Dr Chris Lease said inspection of non-compliant energy drinks would continue in South Australia.