Do Red Bull Cola Drinks Contain Cocaine?

Energy drinks such as Red Bull Cola are a growing trend among young people, particularly on college campuses, where college students see them as a way to get a quick burst of energy before an exam or to stay alert while studying. Unfortunately, along with the popularity of energy drinks has come controversy and concern. Many believe that energy drinks with their high content of caffeine and caffeine-like substances are dangerous, particularly when mixed with alcohol. After all, the energy drink Rock Star carries a warning label discouraging its use by children, those who are pregnant, and people who are sensitive to caffeine. To add to the controversy, some states in Germany have now banned Red Bull cola drink after it was found to contain low levels of cocaine.

How might cocaine end up in a bottle of Red Bull cola drink? According to an article published on the Food and Drink Europe website, the manufacturers of Red Bull cola uses coca leaf extract as a flavoring for their products. Although the coca leaf is high in protein and rich in vitamins and minerals, it also has a cocaine content that can be as high as 0.9 percent. The manufacturers Red Bull cola drinks claims that the leaves are decocainised to remove any natural cocaine present in the leaves before using them in their products. This sampling of Red Bull cola drinks showed the amount of cocaine present to be very small, about 0.4 micrograms per liter. To cause significant problems, hundreds of cans of Red Bull cola drink would have to be consumed.

Despite the fact that the small amount of cocaine found in Red Bull cola drinks is unlikely to cause problems, it casts a negative light on the energy drink industry, an industry that has received its fair share of bad publicity. In all fairness, coca leaves have a long history of being used to flavor food products. In the nineteenth century, the Coca-Cola company used fresh coca leaves to flavor its drinks, but subsequently switched over to decocainised ones. It’s unclear whether coca leaves are part of their current formulation.

The bottom line? Although such small amounts of cocaine are almost insignificant in terms of health risk, the large amount of caffeine and caffeine-like additives present in Red Bull cola drinks and other energy drinks makes them a less than healthy option. A better choice might be a tasty glass of iced green tea or a glass of fruit juice.