Logan Paul's Company Prime Defends Its Energy Drink Amid Backlash

A beverage brand co-founded by YouTubers Logan Paul and KSI (née Olajide Olayinka Williams "JJ" Olatunji) is currently under fire.

Senator Charles Schumer called on the Food and Drug Administration to investigate PRIME for the high levels of caffeine in its energy drink. One 12 oz. can of PRIME Energy contains 200mg of caffeine, while Red Bull's 8.4 oz can has 80mg of caffeine and a 12 oz. Coca-Cola includes 34mg.

"One of the summer's hottest status symbols for kids is not an outfit, or a toy—it's a beverage," the politician said in a letter on July 9, per the Associated Press. "But buyer and parents beware because it's a serious health concern for the kids it so feverishly targets."

After launching globally launching last year, AP reported that some pediatricians warned of potential health effects in young children that included heart problems, anxiety and digestive issues.

Despite the criticism, PRIME defended the amount of caffeine in its energy drinks.

"PRIME Energy, sold in a can, dropped in 2023 and contains a comparable amount of caffeine to other top selling energy drinks," a spokesperson for the company told People on July 11, "all falling within the legal limit of the countries it's sold in."

The brand stressed the importance of consumer safety, noting it's complied with FDA guidelines since its launch and PRIME Energy "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."

However, Schumer argued in his letter to the FDA that there isn't a noticeable difference in the online marketing of PRIME Energy, especially when compared to its Hydration line, which doesn't contain caffeine. 

According to Schumer, this confusion might lead parents to buy the wrong beverage for their kids, potentially causing them to end up with a "cauldron of caffeine."

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

Amid health concerns, some schools in the United Kingdom and Australia have banned PRIME energy drinks, which comes in six different flavors ranging from a tropical punch to a strawberry watermelon. 

E! News has reached out to representatives for PRIME, as well as co-founders Paul and Olatunji, and has yet to receive a response.

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