John Catsimatidis isn’t waiting for an FDA review of a super-caffeinated energy drink — founded by YouTube star Logan Paul — to pull it from his stores, On The Money has learned.
The CEO of Big Apple grocery store chains Gristedes and D’Agostino said he decided to stop stocking Prime Energy after reviewing information about the drink’s health impacts.
The drink has 200 milligrams of caffeine — more than double the caffeine in a Red Bull and six times the amount in a can of Coca-Cola.
“We listen to our customers and we have fears about the concerns for the health of kids as it relates to Prime and the beverage’s caffeine levels and marketing, so will not be stocking it at this time,” Catsimatidis told On The Money on Wednesday. “We could always reconsider, but we would put our own warning labels on the shelf.”
The controversial beverage — which Paul launched with fellow YouTube personality KSI last year — has drawn intense scrutiny from Sen. Chuck Schumer.
Last month, the Senate Majority Leader raised concerns about the drink’s dangers in a letter sent to FDA Commissioner Dr. Robert Califf.
“Prime is born from the wheels of social media and the enigmatic world of influencers,” the New York Democrat said. “Kids see it on their phone as they scroll, and then they actually have a need for it. And the problem here is that the product has so much caffeine in it that it puts Red Bull to shame.”
Schumer added the drink should be “giving parents and doctors the jitters.”
The FDA launched its probe into the beverage after receiving Schumer’s letter.
The company has previously said the drink is not intended for anyone under the age of 18.
It has “complied with all FDA guidelines before hitting the market,” a company representative told CNBC.
[Written in collaboration with other media outlets with information from the following sources]
