An Official of the Government Food and Drug Analyst Department has told Stabroek Business that the department has no intention of moving in the direction of issuing a ban order on several imported energy drinks which it says are potentially injurious to human health.
Deputy Director Khame Sharma told Stabroek Business that the press release issued by the Department in which it named a number of energy drinks that could cause cardiopulmonary or cardiovascular failure if taken on their own but particularly with alcohol, was intended to make consumers aware of the risks involved in consuming these drinks. “Our intention is simply to make people aware of the choices they can make. We are not contemplating banning any of these beverages.”
Sharma said that while the department was empowered under the law to cause the prohibition of importation of any food or drug considered dangerous to human health, information at the disposal of the department up to this time was insufficient to do any more than the department had done.
He said that in the absence of the necessary testing equipment the Department had to rely on information garnered from overseas.
According to Sharma the information contained in last Tuesday’s press release was based on information gleaned from abroad.
Last Tuesday’s press release named Ragaman, Red Bull, Rock Star, Rip It, Impulse, Liquid Spanish Fly and Wired Cocaine, among others, as being among the energy drinks that could induce heart-related illnesses.