Red Bull hit by retailer ban over caffeine content

by Nicola Clark, Marketing 19-Jul-05, 08:30

LONDON - A Scottish off-licence chain has become the first UK retailer to ban the sale of Red Bull to under-16s because of concerns over its high caffeine content.

One o One, which has stores in Glasgow and Paisley and is one of Scotland's biggest off-licence chains, has introduced its own controls. One of its managers claimed it had always been the group's informal policy not to sell Red Bull to under-16s.

The British Soft Drink Association has condemned the action, adding that an 'energy drink contains no more caffeine than a typical cup of coffee'.

Red Bull, the UK's bestselling energy drink, said it knew of no other retailers set to impose a ban. 'There is no legal age restriction on the purchase of Red Bull, but it is generally considered that products containing caffeine are not suitable for young children,' added a spokeswoman.

Elsewhere, the energy drink is not currently authorised for sale in France and Denmark, though French manufacturers are lobbying for it to be granted a licence.

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