PRIME Energy, a caffeine energy drink created and endorsed by Logan Paul and KSI, was the subject of a recall in Canada earlier this week. Health Canada added PRIME Energy to a list of recalled beverages, citing the drink's high caffeine content. This is despite, according to Paul and KSI, the drink not yet being commercially available in the country. In a statement, Paul attributed the recall to "Illegal or unauthorized imports." The YouTubers also stated that there plans to eventually release a version of PRIME that is compliant with Canadian regulations.
However, it's not the only controversy surrounding the brand. Senator Chuck Schumer called the drink a "serious health concern" after it was reported that a 12oz can in the United States contains 200mg of caffeine. Furthermore, in May, a child in the United Kingdom suffered cardiac arrest after consuming a can of PRIME. The UK variant of the drink contains 140mg of caffeine. Both men have released scathing statements about these recent events.
Paul Slams "Misinformation"
“The cr*zy part about that is, we don’t even distribute PRIME Energy in Canada!” Paul argued. “So, how could it be recalled? The answer is: Illegal or unauthorized imports of the beverage.” He then turned his attention to "misinformation" about the product. “But of course, traditional media doesn’t care about that, because they just want a headline. They want clicks. The level of misinformation currently being spread around PRIME is actually ins*ne.” The drink's future in places like the US and the UK remains questionable. It's not unreasonable to imagine that moves to ban or further regulate the drink could be coming.
PRIME is likely to remain a controversial topic for many months. Despite being marketed as a product for adults, both Paul and KSI have very young audiences. This is what leads to incidents such as a child in Wales experiencing a cardiac arrest. Furthermore, PRIME's caffeine content is markedly higher than other caffeinated beverages. A can of Monster Energy has 160mg; a can of Red Bull has 80mg. While Paul and KSI have every right to defend their product, there's no escaping the war on caffeine.
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