Four Loko To Remove Caffeine
BOSTON (CBS/AP) - The company that makes the popular caffeinated alcohol drink Four Loko said it will remove the caffeine from its products, pulling the current mix off the market, just as the Food and Drug Administration is set to ban it.
Phusion Projects posted a statement on its web site Tuesday saying it will remove caffeine and two other ingredients – taurine and guarana - from its products from now on, leaving just the alcohol.
The company's three co-founders say they are taking this step after unsuccessfully trying to deal with what they called "a difficult and politically-charged regulatory environment at both the state and federal levels."
"We have repeatedly contended – and still believe, as do many people throughout the country – that the combination of alcohol and caffeine is safe. If it were unsafe, popular drinks like rum and colas or Irish coffees that have been consumed safely and responsibly for years would face the same scrutiny that our products have recently faced. "
WBZ-TV's David Robichaud Reports
The statement did not mention several recent incidents in which students were hospitalized after drinking Four Loko.
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WBZ Radio's Karen Twomey Reports
It has been banned in four states. Massachusetts is about to become the fifth.
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