Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has asked the Food and Drug Administration to investigate Prime Hydration for its marketing towards children and the high amounts of caffeine in its energy drinks.
Prime Hydration was founded by social media influencers Logan Paul and KSI. The company has signed sponsorships with soccer teams FC Barcelona and Arsenal, MLB’s Los Angeles Dodgers, and UFC as Prime’s retail sales reached $250 million in its first year.
A 12-ounce can of Prime’s energy drink contains 200 milligrams of caffeine, significantly more than the caffeine found in a 12-ounce Coca-Cola (34 milligrams) and an 8.4-ounce Red Bull (80 milligrams). In a press release, Schumer called Prime a “status symbol for kids” and “a serious health concern for the kids it so feverishly targets.”
“PRIME is so new that most parents haven’t a clue about it, but it is born from the reels of social media and the enigmatic world of influencers,” said Schumer. “The problem here is that this product has so much caffeine in it that it puts Red Bull to shame, but unlike Red Bull, this product has one true target market: children under the age of 18, and that is why I am sounding the alarm and asking the FDA to investigate PRIME.”
Prime’s energy drinks have a warning label that reads “not recommended for children under 18.” The company also sells a “sports drink” called PRIME Hydration, containing no caffeine.
“As a brand, our top priority is consumer safety, so we welcome discussions with the FDA or any other organization regarding suggested industry changes they feel are necessary in order to protect consumers,” Prime spokesperson Alyx Sealy said in a statement to the Associated Press.
