Written Question · S5W-06303 · Session 5
What action it can take to encourage reduced consumption of energy drinks by children.
The question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it can take to encourage reduced consumption of energy drinks by children.
The answer
The Scottish Government is working to foster responsible retailing of energy drinks through voluntary and statutory means.
The provision of energy drinks at school is already banned under the School (Health Promotion and Nutrition) (Scotland) Regulations 2008. Through Beyond the School Gate, we are advocating that schools, communities and local authorities take a pro-active role to engage with young people, their parents and local retailers to ensure that consumption is appropriately limited, taking into account the 2015 European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) report on energy drinks. Similarly, there is guidance available in Better Eating, Better Learning on what schools can do to educate pupils about energy drinks as well as equipping them with the skills, knowledge and experience they need to make better health choices and live longer, healthier lives.
In the UK, high caffeine drink manufacturers are now required to include advice on their products (other than those based on coffee/tea or coffee/tea extracts where the term coffee/tea appears in the name of the product) about their unsuitability for children and pregnant women due to the high caffeine content. Manufacturers are required to label beverages with caffeine content in excess of 150 mg/l as ‘High caffeine content. Not recommended for children or pregnant or breast-feeding women’. This is a legal requirement set out in Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 on the provision of food information to consumers which is enforced in Scotland by the Food Information (Scotland) Regulations 2014 (as amended).
Furthermore, the Scottish Government has continued to support voluntary mechanisms such as the British Soft Drinks Association’s (BSDA) code of practice not to promote energy drinks to under 16s. We welcome campaigns such as last year’s ‘Can It’ campaign which the Scottish Grocers Federation advocated to its members and we are calling on the larger retailers to take similar proactive measures.
The Scottish Government will continue to monitor the evidence base and carefully consider recommendations made in relation to this issue.
The provision of energy drinks at school is already banned under the School (Health Promotion and Nutrition) (Scotland) Regulations 2008. Through Beyond the School Gate, we are advocating that schools, communities and local authorities take a pro-active role to engage with young people, their parents and local retailers to ensure that consumption is appropriately limited, taking into account the 2015 European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) report on energy drinks. Similarly, there is guidance available in Better Eating, Better Learning on what schools can do to educate pupils about energy drinks as well as equipping them with the skills, knowledge and experience they need to make better health choices and live longer, healthier lives.
In the UK, high caffeine drink manufacturers are now required to include advice on their products (other than those based on coffee/tea or coffee/tea extracts where the term coffee/tea appears in the name of the product) about their unsuitability for children and pregnant women due to the high caffeine content. Manufacturers are required to label beverages with caffeine content in excess of 150 mg/l as ‘High caffeine content. Not recommended for children or pregnant or breast-feeding women’. This is a legal requirement set out in Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 on the provision of food information to consumers which is enforced in Scotland by the Food Information (Scotland) Regulations 2014 (as amended).
Furthermore, the Scottish Government has continued to support voluntary mechanisms such as the British Soft Drinks Association’s (BSDA) code of practice not to promote energy drinks to under 16s. We welcome campaigns such as last year’s ‘Can It’ campaign which the Scottish Grocers Federation advocated to its members and we are calling on the larger retailers to take similar proactive measures.
The Scottish Government will continue to monitor the evidence base and carefully consider recommendations made in relation to this issue.
In the Official Report
No contribution in the Official Report cites S5W-06303 by reference.