Food Business News - November 6, 2012 - 35

average more than 20 mg of caffeine per o 0 oz. “An entire 24-oz can of Monster Energy contains about 240 mg of caffeine from all sources, which is around 30% less than the average caffeine contained in a medium-sized, 16-oz cup of coffee house brewed coffee,” the company said.

F.D.A. may be investigating
Food Business News contacted the Food and Drug Administration about reports that the agency is investigating a possible connection between energy drinks and the deaths of five people. “As with any reports of a death or

injury the agency receives we take them very seriously and investigate diligently,” said Shelly Burgess, an F.D.A. spokesperson. “Under the law, adverse event reports serve as a signal to F.D.A. and do not prove causation between a product or ingredient and an adverse event.” Because of the law, the F.D.A. has restrictions that prevent it from discussing specific information, she said. The law requires manufacturers to submit all reports on serious adverse events to the F.D.A. within 15 days of receiving them, Ms. Burgess said. “F.D.A. continues to evaluate the emerging science on a variety of ingredients, including caffeine,” she said. Energy drinks were the subject of a letter that two U.S. senators, Dick Durbin of Illinois and Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, sent Sept. 11 to the F.D.A. It focused on the interaction of ingredients, including taurine and guarana, in energy drinks and the effect the caffeine in the drinks has on children. While healthy adults may consume 400 mg of caffeine daily, the letter cited a recommendation from the American Academy of Pediatrics that adolescents consume no more than 100 mg of caffeine daily. With regards to the F.D.A. investigation, the company said, “Adverse event reports about a product do not mean that the reported event is caused by the product. The F.D.A. has made it clear that it has not established any causal link between Monster Energy drinks and the reports it has received.” FBN

Tackle the forecasts head on.

PepsiCo, Suntory to partner in Vietnam
PURCHASE, N.Y. — PepsiCo, Inc. and Suntory Holdings Ltd. (Suntory), a global beverage and wellness company based in Osaka, Japan, have agreed to form an alliance that is designed to build on PepsiCo’s for both companies in Vietnam. PepsiCo will retain marketing and innovation responsibilities for its portfolio of beverage brands in Vietnam, which include Pepsi-Cola, 7-UP, Sting, Mirinda, Tropicana Twister, Lipton and Aquaﬁna. Suntory brings to the alliance strong brands and a history of developing beverages for the Asian market. PepsiCo entered the Vietnam market in 1994, and now has ﬁve beverage manufacturing plants there. The company said it will continue to independently operate its food business in Vietnam. Suntory Group was founded in 1899 and has become a multi-national beverage company with a range of business, including wellness, food and restaurants. In 2011, Suntory’s consolidated sales were more than $23 billion. PepsiCo and Suntory have worked together in other beverage markets, including the United States, Japan and New Zealand. FBN

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existing position in Vietnam and create new growth opportunities for both companies in the market. Under the terms of the agreement, Suntory will acquire a 51% stake in PepsiCo’s Vietnam beverage business, while PepsiCo will be a 49% shareholder. Both companies are expected to hold key roles in the management team of the new joint venture, which will serve as the bottler

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Food Business News - November 6, 2012

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