Australian Beverages Calls for Enforcement of Food Regulations

Australia has some of the strictest regulations in the world on the sale of energy drinks, including caffeine limits and mandatory labelling on pack. The Australian Beverages Council has called on authorities to investigate the alleged non-compliance of some products and ban them from entering the country and being sold in-store or online if found to be illegal.

SYDNEY – The Australian Beverages Council Limited (ABCL) is calling on authorities to stop the importation of energy drinks that do not adhere to Australian Food Standards Code.
“Australia has some of the toughest restrictions on energy drinks of any nation in the world,” says ABCL CEO Geoff Parker. “Compliance with Food Standards Australia and New Zealand’s (FSANZ) Food Standards Code is mandatory, and the energy drinks standard (2.6.4) was developed following FSANZ’s rigorous food safety assessment procedures.”

ABCL members’ energy drinks strictly comply with the Code. “The local energy drinks industry does all the right things, including accurate labelling and adhering to limits set by
tough Australian regulation. Additionally, under the terms of our industry’s Energy Drinks Commitments and local advertising regulations, ABCL members do not market energy drinks
to children and do not sell them in any school as per state guidelines. The ABCL is committed to the safe consumption and sale of energy drinks in Australia, and we want to
ensure these standards are upheld.”

Under the Code, a 250ml can of energy drink contains no more than 80mg of caffeine, equivalent to a cup of coffee made with a teaspoon of instant coffee powder. The energy drink recently featured on our nation’s media appears to be non-compliant due to its high caffeine levels – almost double the allowed limit of caffeine – exceeding the Code’s requirement.

The product appears to be coming into the country through grey importation. If authorities currently investigating the product determined it to be illegal in Australia, the ABCL is calling on government officials to prevent the product from entering our borders and confiscate any product that has already entered the country.ABCL Media Release – Energy Drinks