The Consumers’ Foundation has warned that most energy drinks contain large amounts of caffeine, which might temporarily boost energy, but are not recommended for children.
The main ingredient of energy drinks is caffeine, which can stimulate the central nervous system to boost energy. Many also have other ingredients such as taurine, sweeteners, vitamin B supplements, herbal extracts and other nutrients, the foundation said, adding that they are mainly consumed by young males or working-class people.
However, there have been reports of people dying because of an excess consumption of energy drinks in other nations, and the effect of caffeine and large amounts of sugar on children or people with health problems is a concern, it said.
Foundation chairman Alan Lu (陸雲) said the foundation analyzed the ingredients of 14 energy drinks and discovered that 13 contained between 5mg and 30mg per 100ml (mg/100ml) of caffeine — in accordance with the law.
However, Cobra energy drink, imported from the Philippines, was found to be mislabeled and contained the synthetic dye tartrazine (better known as Yellow No. 5), which can cause an allergic reaction in some people resulting in asthma or hyperactivity in children, head inspector Ling Young-chien (凌永健) said.
Lu said the European Food Safety Authority recommends that daily caffeine intake from all sources should not exceed 300mg per day, about equal to drinking four 250ml bottles of energy drink.
However, Health Canada recommends a maximum caffeine intake of 85mg a day for children between 10 and 12 years old, Lu said, adding that children can easily exceed the recommended daily caffeine intake by drinking one bottle of energy drink.
A NT$39 receipt for two bottles of tea at a FamilyMart was among the NT$10 million (US $312,969) special prize winners in the January-February uniform invoice lottery. FamilyMart said that two NT$10 million-winning receipts were issued at its stores, as well as two NT$2 million grand prizes and three NT$200,000 first prizes. The two NT$10 million receipts were issued at stores in Pingtung County and Yilan County’s Dongshan Township (冬山). One winner spent just NT$39 on two bottles of tea, while another spent NT$80 on water, tea and coffee, the company said. Meanwhile, 7-Eleven reported three NT$10 million winners — in New Taipei
Considering that most countries issue more than five denominations of banknotes, the central bank has decided to redesign all five denominations, the bank said as it prepares for the first major overhaul of the banknotes in more than 24 years. Central bank Governor Yang Chin-lung (楊金龍) is expected to report to the Legislative Yuan today on the bank’s operations and the redesign’s progress. The bank in a report sent to the legislature ahead of today’s meeting said it had commissioned a survey on the public’s preferences. Survey results showed that NT$100 and NT$1,000 banknotes are the most commonly used, while NT$200 and NT$2,000
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) yesterday reported the first case of a new COVID-19 subvariant — BA.3.2 — in a 10-year-old Singaporean girl who had a fever upon arrival in Taiwan and tested positive for the disease. The girl left Taiwan on March 20 and the case did not have a direct impact on the local community, it said. The WHO added the BA.3.2 strain to its list of Variants Under Monitoring in December last year, but this was the first imported case of the COVID-19 variant in Taiwan, CDC Deputy Director-General Lin Ming-cheng (林明誠) said. The girl arrived in Taiwan on
ANNUAL EVENT: Two massive Pokemon balloons are to be set up in Daan Park, with an event zone operating from 10am to 6pm This year’s Taipei Floral Picnic is to be held at Daan Park today and tomorrow, featuring an exclusive Pokemon Go event, a themed food market, a coffee rave picnic area and stage performances, the Taipei Department of Information and Tourism said yesterday. Two massive Pokemon balloons are to be set up in the park as attractions, with an exclusive event zone operating from 10am to 6pm, it said. Participants who complete designated tasks on-site would have a chance to receive limited-edition souvenirs, it added. People could also try the newly launched game Pokemon Pokopia in the trial area, the department said. Three PokeStops are
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