Schumer urges FDA to probe Prime energy drink backed by YouTube stars Logan Paul and KSI

WASHINGTON — Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is calling on the Food and Drug Administration to look into a sports energy drink founded by social media influencers that has become popular with kids and teens.

Prime, founded by YouTube stars Logan Paul and KSI, quickly gained a fervent following after its 2022 launch and became an official partner of Futbol Club Barcelona this month. The brand offers a bottled hydration drink and a canned energy beverage, which is said is not intended for children.

In a release Monday, Schumer’s office called the energy drink a “cauldron of caffeine.”

“Many physicians have serious concern for Prime, and I write to specifically urge your agency to investigate Prime for its claims, marketing and caffeine content,” Schumer, D-N.Y., wrote in a letter to FDA Commissioner Dr. Robert Califf. Prime drinks have gone viral on social media platforms, such as TikTok, which is itself under intense regulatory scrutiny in Washington.

The Prime energy drink contains 200 mg of caffeine per 12 ounces, compared to 34 mg in a 12-ounce can of Coca-Cola and 80 mg in an 8.4-ounce can of Red Bull, according to Schumer’s letter. Several countries, including Australia, South Africa, the United Kingdom, Canada and New Zealand have already banned Prime Energy drinks or its caffeine-free version, Prime Hydration, in some schools.

Schumer urged Califf to start an investigation based on physicians’ warnings to parents who say the caffeine content “can have an adverse impact on the health of children” as well as targeted advertising to younger demographics. The company’s lack of sufficient warnings about its caffeine content also invites scrutiny, he wrote.

“A simple search on social media for Prime will generate an eye-popping amount of sponsored content, which is advertising,” Schumer wrote. “This content and the claims made should be investigated, along with the ingredients and the caffeine content in the Prime energy drink.”

A company representative told CNBC that Prime Energy “contains a comparable amount of caffeine to other top selling energy drinks, all falling within the legal limit of the countries it’s sold in,” and that it welcomes discussions with the FDA on protecting customers.

Prime Energy “complied with all FDA guidelines before hitting the market and states clearly on packaging, as well as in marketing materials, that it is an energy drink and is not made for anyone under the age of 18,” the representative said.