Red Bull ban is a ‘knee-jerk’ reaction, says trade group
Some retailers in Germany have pulled the product, which is a cola extension to the Red Bull energy drink brand launched last year, after testing in one state revealed minute traces of cocaine in the beverages but there has been no suggestion public health is under threat.
The product has been withdrawn in other countries since, such as Hong Kong, Jordan and Taiwan even as the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) tested products and found no traces of cocaine.
"The ban on Red Bull appears to be a knee-jerk reaction which has absolutely nothing to do with the actual risks to human health,” ANH said.
“It is very clear that a miniscule amount (around 130 nanograms) of the non-active degradation product of cocaine per can … does not represent any risk to human health.”
ANH noted that the use of highly sensitive analytical equipment meant traces of contaminants were more likely to be found, even though the levels may be benign.
“It is the dose of a given substance that determines whether it is poisonous or not,” ANH said.
“It follows then that the presence of a given substance, on its own, does not constitute any evidence of harmfulness. Municipal drinking water is toxic if you drink enough of it, as are the contaminants within it.
Poppy seeds, for example, may contain detectable, trace amounts of opium; there are tiny amounts of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in industrial hemp (used in health foods); nicotine can be found, naturally, in tomatoes, green peppers, potatoes and eggplant; and a typical sea salt may contain traces of potentially hazardous minerals including arsenic and cadmium.”
ANH noted that a ban on a foodstuff cannot occur in the EU unless evidence of harm can be demonstrated which is not the case with Red Bull Cola.
“We can’t imagine ‘the bull’ will take this one lying down…..and any challenge by Red Bull will no doubt make yet another interesting legal precedent.”
A recent risk assessment conducted by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) found safety issue with the drink, although it is banned in Denmark and Norway over its taurine content and in Turkey over its high caffeine content.
