The Department of Health has confirmed it is reviewing its policy on stimulant drinks following the decision of the European Court of Justice to uphold the French ban on the high caffeine drink, Red Bull.
The all-island food safety promotion board, Safefood, said yesterday it is in talks with the Department of Health on the issue and is recommending that Red Bull be labelled unsuitable for children under 16, for pregnant women and individuals sensitive to caffeine.
Safefood also wants the promotion of Red Bull in sport or as an accompaniment to alcohol, banned on safety grounds.
Red Bull has been banned in France on medical grounds. The French ban is based on the country's food laws, which stipulate a maximum allowed caffeine content in products.
The European Commission challenged the French ban after manufacturers complained that it was inhibiting imports. The ban was upheld last week. A Department of Health spokes-person said last night that a review of stimulant drinks was under way following the European Court of Justice decision. Science and technical director of Safefood, Dr Thomas Quigley, told The Irish Times yesterday that the mix of sport and Red Bull was unwise because the high caffeine content in the drink caused dehydration while sports people needed rehydration.
Similarly, Red Bull was frequently drunk with vodka, increasing the rate at which the body was becoming dehydrated.
While the manufacturers say they do not promote the drink as a mixer for alcohol, Dr Quigley said the association between alcohol and Red Bull were "very close".
Safefood's helpline received a large numbers of calls from concerned parents since the French ban on Red Bull was upheld last week, he said.
Most of the callers asked if it was safe to allow their children to drink Red Bull.
From next July, EU rules mean that drinks with a caffeine content greater than 150 mg per litre must be labelled "high caffeine content".
Red Bull has regularly defended the safety of its product.
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