Asharq Al-Awsat
Riyadh- The Ministries of Health, Commerce and Industry have formed a specialized committee in order to determine the dangers of energy drinks. The committee has decided to stop all advertising of unregistered energy drinks within the local market until registration procedures have been completed. This is to be done within a specific time span and according to standard measurements set by both the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
The committee reinforced that all energy drinks are to be withdrawn from the local market in case of any violation by either marketing or production companies. They further emphasized the importance of the companies” commitment to the registration procedures of the health drinks with reference to product content. The ingredient information label must now include the registration number of the product, which is provided by the Ministry of Health in addition to health warnings in cases of misuse.
The committee has further suggested that any promotional use of health claims to boost energy will now be prohibited. For example, phrases such as "The Energy drink" are no longer permitted, allowing only the commercial name of the product to be used. Such action has been taken in order to avoid misleading consumers and driving them to blindly purchasing such products.
Due to the potential danger of some drinks, the committee has asserted the importance of the availability of product content and information on the product packaging itself, including warnings of consumption by pregnant women, children under the age of sixteen, athletes and those who suffer from heart disease. Furthermore, the committee has highlighted the importance of commitment to all the new regulations as well as the suggested effort that should made by the Saudi Institute to produce a leaflet in which the possible dangers of Energy drinks would be clearly outlined.