Health concerns force energy drink changes

Fears over the safety of energy drinks including Red Bull and XL Energy are helping a new competitor enter the Middle East.

X35 Energy hopes to allay energy drink fears by claiming to be a healthy alternative to the market leaders.

X35 Energy Ltd public relations Shireen Abdul Karim said: “There’s a lot of bad press at the moment relating to energy drinks and I think it’s mainly to do with the taurine content.

“They can cause heart attacks and palpitations and these incidents are documented in high-profile tabloids in the UK.”

X 35 Energy contains no taurine but does contain black seed, an ingredient used in studies to treat cancer and AIDS.

“The Middle East has given us an amazing reaction — mainly because of the black seed content; the Arabic translation of black seed means ‘seed of blessing’ and it’s a big part of the region’s culture and history,” Karim added.

Competitors hit back at Karim’s claims, arguing that their energy drink products were safe when drunk in moderation.

XL Energy’s export manager Bogdan Nowak commented: “You can drink two or three cans and nothing will happen to you.”

“Even the France government, who had similar fears, had to give up its embargo...and allow them back onto the market.”

American energy drink Tweaker’s slogan claims to offer customers “six times the kick”.

Tweaker sales representative Roy Mongelli said: “You can take Tweaker to a club or a disco, drink it and get an amazing kick of energy. It also provides a feeling of well being because of some of the ingredients in there.”

When questioned on the possible health risks attached to the product Mongelli asserted: “I believe this product is safe — absolutely 100%.”

“If you drink a case all at once, there’s obviously going to be some problems,” he added.