WELLINGTON, New Zealand—The New Zealand Food Safety Authority (NZFSA) is reconfirming its stand that children and teenagers abstain from consuming energy drinks and energy shots containing caffeine, following completion of a risk profile on caffeine.
“The report has not found anything we didn’t already know: children and teenagers get caffeine from tea, cola drinks and coffee, and if they consume too much they could have effects like dizziness, rapid heartbeat, irritability, anxiety, tremors and insomnia,” said Donald Campbell, public health principal. “These products are labeled with their caffeine content, and just as you wouldn’t hand a child a double long black, you shouldn’t give them energy shots.”
A single shot espresso coffee has around 80 mg of caffeine and a cafe latte 99 mg. Energy shots can have twice this level or more. A cup of tea has about 55 mg. A 50g milk chocolate bar has about 10mg.
NZFSA’s risk profile indicates that the temporary adverse effects can occur in some people when they consume about 3 mg of caffeine per kilogram of body weight a day, which most adults would exceed if they had two single shot lattes or four cups of tea. There is no evidence of long-term harm in the general healthy adult population from caffeine consumption up to 400 mg per day.
Ministry of Health healthy eating guidelines state children should avoid energy drinks and limit intake of cola type soft drinks, and teenagers have them only once in a while. Pregnant women should limit their caffeine intake and avoid energy drinks and energy shots. People who are sensitive to caffeine should also avoid energy drinks and energy shots.
Energy drinks sold under the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code must carry an advisory statement that the product contains caffeine and is not recommended for children, lactating women or individuals sensitive to caffeine. The level of caffeine must also be stated on the label. Energy shots sold under the New Zealand Food (Supplemented Food) Standard 2010 must carry the same information.
