Starbucks On Tuesday, it launched a drink in stores nationwide called Iced Energy, which contains up to 205 milligrams of caffeine — the same amount found in a six-pack of Coke. The fruity energy drink debuted less than two months after bakery-café chain Panera Bread announced it would stop producing its controversial Charged Lemonade, a drink that lawsuits blamed for the deaths of two people and referred to as a “dangerous energy drink.”
Iced Energy comes in three flavors, including the caffeinated one, Tropical Citrus, which contains 205 milligrams of caffeine, according to Starbucks' website. That's more than a cup of Starbucks Café Latte, which has 150 milligrams of caffeine, but much less than Panera's Charged Lemonade, which has 390 milligrams of caffeine when served in a large 30-fluid-ounce cup without ice. Panera began phasing out Charged Lemonade on May 7, and has denied any wrongdoing, saying it removed the drink as part of a broader menu shift.
With the exception of Frozen Tropical Citrus Energy with Strawberry Puree, Iced Energy is sugar-free and contains no artificial sweeteners. All flavors contain caffeine, vitamins and taurine, an amino acid common in popular energy drinks that is touted to help improve exercise performance, although more studies are needed. Although taurine is not a stimulant, some animal studies suggest that regular consumption of it in high doses can be harmful to adolescents' developing brains.
Supercharged lemonade, on the other hand, contains sugar and guarana extract, a stimulant that allegedly aids in weight loss and improves cognition, but may be unsafe when taken long-term in large quantities.
Charged Lemonade and Iced Energy are part of a growing category called “functional drinks” that chains large and small are eager to jump into, according to experts. These drinks contain ingredients that are said to improve health.
“You're seeing this desire for functional beverages taking hold in a lot of different beverage sectors,” said Brian Wariner, director of the Center for Beverage Education and Innovation at Johnson & Wales University in Providence, Rhode Island, adding that non-alcoholic beverages (mocktails) are another area of tremendous growth. In functional beverages, “consumers believe there are some benefits.”
Starbucks' new drink comes amid a slew of similar options elsewhere. In February, while Panera was reeling from multiple lawsuits over its Charged Lemonade drink, Dunkin' introduced SPARKD, carbonated energy drinks with guarana and taurine that come in peach and raspberry flavors and contain up to 192 milligrams of caffeine. Smoothie King offers lemonade smoothies that contain up to 125 milligrams of “natural caffeine” from green coffee beans.
The energy drink market as a whole has exploded: As of mid-May, annual sales of energy drinks in the United States had risen to nearly $22 billion, up from about $13.5 billion at the end of 2019, according to Circana, a Chicago-based market research firm. firm.
Energy drinks contain more caffeine than ever before. Red Bull, which has been sold for decades, contains 114 milligrams of caffeine in a 12-fluid ounce can, while many newer brands, including Celsius, contain 200 milligrams or more. Others, like Bang, have 300 milligrams.
The Food and Drug Administration says healthy adults can generally consume up to 400 milligrams of caffeine per day, the equivalent of about four or five cups of coffee.
The Starbucks menu has items that come close to that level, like their Blonde Roast Hot Coffee, which has 360 milligrams.
While most adults can consume caffeine, the American Academy of Pediatrics says there are no benefits of caffeine for children, specifically stating that teens should avoid energy drinks due to health concerns.
A growing number of countries have banned sales of energy drinks to children, and Russia was the latest country to move to stop sales to those under the age of 18. In the United States, multiple state-led efforts to do the same have failed.
Starbucks Iced Energy differs from popular caffeinated smoothies and juices, which contain about 30 milligrams or more of caffeine — a little more than the amount found in a can of Coca-Cola. Starbucks baristas shared on TikTok that parents don't always realize the smoothies contain caffeine when they order them for their kids.
Starbucks did not respond to multiple requests for comment on the Iced Energy drink, including whether it would take any steps to prevent children from drinking it.
