The investigation was prompted by a wrongful death lawsuit filed by the mother of the 14-year-old girl who claimed that her daughter died of caffeine toxicity after drinking two 24-ounce cans of the energy drink within a span of 24 hours.
Incidentally, from 2004 until present, a total of six deaths tied to the said energy beverage have been reported, including one fatal heart attack.
The said reports claimed that people had adverse reactions after consuming a 24-ounce can of Monster energy beverage, which contains seven times the amount of caffeine in a 12-ounce cola drink.
Under the FDA’s protocol, a soda must only contain 72 mg of caffeine per 12-ounce can. However, reports claimed that Monster Energy Drink has 160 mg of caffeine per 16-ounce can.
Meanwhile, in the autopsy report, it revealed that Anais Fournier died of cardiac arrhythmia due to caffeine toxicity that prevented his heart’s ability to pump blood. The teen suffered from a genetically inherited disorder that can deteriorate blood vessels.
However, Fournier’s mother claimed in her lawsuit that Monster failed to warn consumers about the risks of drinking its products.
On the other hand, the energy drink manufacturer accordingly puts labels on the beverage’s cans, which state that the drink is not recommended for individuals who are sensitive to caffeine.
Nevertheless, despite the claims, the FDA noted that as of present, there is no firm evidence that would link the energy drink to the untimely death of the six individuals. However, the agency’s spokesperson guaranteed that a serious and diligent investigation is already underway.
Furthermore, in a statement released by the energy drink’s manufacturer, Monster claimed that although the company is saddened by the death of Fournier, it does not believe that the energy beverage has something to do with her death. Therefore, the company considers mounting a defense against the lawsuit filed by the teen’s mother.
Apparently, this would be a tedious process since authorities still have to go back to previous reports in order to come up with a full and detailed investigation result.
This would be an interesting case to keep track of since Monster Energy Drink is one of the growing groups of energy drinks on the market, commented by a Los Angeles injury attorney.
As it is, everybody should be well-informed regarding the possible health risks of such products. This way, what happened to Fournier will not be replicated.
