States Urge Probe of Miller Brewing's `Sparks' Energy Drink
Attorneys general from 16 U.S.
states asked the Treasury Department to probe allegations that
SABMiller Plcs Miller Brewing uses too much caffeine and
alcohol in its “Sparks brand alcoholic energy drinks.
The states sent letters to the departments Alcohol and
Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, urging it to determine if the
alcohol content in Sparks and Sparks Plus is higher than the
6 percent disclosed on the label, Connecticut Attorney General
Richard Blumenthal said yesterday in a statement.
“Federal officials should crack down on potentially
dangerous, misleading claims about drinks combining caffeine and
alcohol, Blumenthal said.
The letter was prompted by a recent report that independent
laboratory tests found 16-ounce cans of Sparks and Sparks Plus
contained more than two times the federal caffeine limit in
alcoholic drinks of 200 parts per million.
The report also showed Sparks contained 6.97 percent
alcohol by volume, or nearly one percent more than the amount
indicated on the label, according to the statement.
“Federal law requires malt beverage containers to display
truthful and accurate statements of alcohol content,
Blumenthals office said in the statement.
Young People
State attorneys general started last year to push brewers
to change how they market alcoholic energy drinks, saying the
beverages appeal to young people and may affect their reflexes.
Brewers are increasingly looking at energy drinks and
liquor as new sources of revenue growth while demand for
domestic beer slows.
Blumenthal is among attorneys general in about 10 U.S.
states who are investigating drinks makers including Miller
Brewing and Anheuser-Busch Cos. to determine whether they are
marketing the beverages to underage consumers.
Anheuser-Busch has confirmed that New York, Maine,
Maryland, Arizona and Iowa subpoenaed the St. Louis-based brewer
for information about the sales and marketing of Tilt and Bud
Extra. The company makes Budweiser and Michelob beers.
Julian Green, a spokesman for London-based SABMiller, the
worlds third-largest beer company, didnt return an after-hours
call for comment.
The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, a former part
of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, collects excise
taxes and ensures products are labeled, advertised and marketed
lawfully.
