Lawsuits

Monster Energy Drinks Changes Its Label to Seem Less Frightening

“Dietary supplement” no more! Photo: Monster Energy Drinks

Seemingly in an effort to increase transparency and rehabilitate its image following the news that its product was cited in reports of at least five deaths, Monster Beverage Corp. announced this week that it will change the ways its products are classified. They will be “beverages” going forward and no longer considered “dietary supplements.” After the parents of the 14-year-old Maryland teen who had died after drinking two Monster Energy drinks filed a lawsuit against the manufacturer, it was revealed that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration had been monitoring the brand since 2004, logging 37 incidences of “adverse reactions” such as arrhythmia and dizziness. The shift means that the information printed on the side of Monster Energy drinks will now be presented as “Nutrition Facts” instead of “Supplement Facts,” and since the caffeine- and taurine-loaded drinks are now considered “food,” the company — its methods and its ingredients included — will be subject to increased scrutiny from the FDA. [AP, Earlier, Related]

Monster Energy Drinks Changes Its Label to Seem Less Frightening