Apr 20th, 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Title
Ingredients in Energy Drinks: A Descriptive Study
Faculty Sponsor
Dr. Elaine Long
Information
In the year 2006 over 500 new energy drink brands were put on the market and over 7 million adolescents reported consuming energy drinks (Meadows-Oliver & Ryan-Krause 2007). Estimates of consumer spending on energy drinks in 2008 exceeded $744 million dollars (International Food Information Council). Consumers often perceive energy drinks as healthy without knowledge of the amounts of ingredients in these beverages. Caffeine and sugar are the prominent ingredients found in many energy drinks but other substances such as riboflavin, pyridoxine, nicotinamide,taurine, and various herbal derivatives are also present (Aranda & Morlock, 2006). Due to the growing popularity of energy drinks, we investigated the ingredients found in popular energy drinks sold in the Treasure Valley. Our methodology included on-site data collection at grocery and convenience stores during October and November 2008. Ingredient data was also obtained from manufacturers’ websites. Our research breaks down the ingredients, calories, and vitamins found in energy drinks, therefore helping consumers make an educated decision before consuming these popular beverages.