Health risks and legal aspects of non-alcoholic drinks safe consumption

Objective of the Work. Conduct an analysis of the safety studies of the major energy drink components carried out by various international scientific institutions. Compare European and Ukrainian legislation on the regulation of safe energy drink consumption. Methods and Materials. Analysis of scientific literature, as well as European and Ukrainian regulations on the safety and regulation of energy drinks. Results and Discussion. Non-alcoholic beverage is one that, due to its special component, activates the physiological functions of the human body. Its main components are caffeine, taurine, glucuronolactone, ginseng extracts, guarana and vitamin B complex. Caffeine safety assessment has been carried out by many scientific organizations. In 1991, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) concluded that caffeine was not classified as a human carcinogen. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has conducted a comprehensive and in-depth study on the safety of caffeine. The main findings of this study are: single doses of caffeine up to 200 mg (about 3 mg / kg body weight for an adult weighing 70 kg) do not cause safety concerns, regular caffeine intake up to 400 mg per day does not cause safety concerns for nonpregnant adults, regular caffeine intake of up to 200 mg daily by pregnant women does not cause fetal safety concerns, breastfeeding women do not raise infant safety concerns; for adolescents, caffeine intake in amounts that do not cause fears for adult caffeine intake (3 mg / kg body weight per day) may serve as a basis for determining safe single doses of caffeine and its daily intake, other components of energy drinks in concentrations typical of such drinks (about 300-320, 4000 and 2400 mg / l of caffeine, taurine and D-glucuronyl-γ-lactone, respectively), and also alcohol at doses up to 0.65 g / kg body weight do not affect the safety of receiving single doses of caffeine (up to 200 mg). Conclusions. The essential requirements governing the safe consumption of energy drinks relate to their labeling. In order to achieve a high level of consumer health protection, to guarantee their rights to obtain reliable information, to enable them to make a conscious choice of safe products for them, energy drink manufacturers should inform consumers about their products and the need to comply with the recommended consumption of these drinks. Key Words: energy drinks, caffeine, safety, risks, marking.