'Red Bull' under FDA lens

Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration has prohibited the sales of 'Red Bull', an energy drink, following complaints that the product's main ingredient Taurine is an animal derivative, which the company denies saying it is derived sythetically.

"We have received complaints that the products main ingredient Tourine is an animal extract. We have therefore prohibited the sale of the drink till the company gets a certificate from a certified authority in the country that the drink does not contain any animal derivative," FDA commissioner M Ramesh Kumar said in Mumbai on Wednesday.

Kumar said as per information available with FDA, Taurine is an animal origin product, produced by the synthesis of amino acids in the body.

"We do not have information as to whether Taurine used in Red Bull is synthetically derived. Till we receive a clarification from the Austrian-based company the prohibition on the sale of the product in the state would continue," he said.

The company, in its website claims that the drink is vegetarian and all ingredients used are synthetically derived.

Kumar said that FDA would allow sale of the drink if the company changes the labelling of the product and carries red dot on the label, which signifies that a product has non-vegetarian ingredients in it.

A 250 ml can of the drink contains around 1,000 mg of Taurine and the Austria-based company claims that the drink improves mental and physical performance.