De-cocainized coca leaf extracts are used as flavoring in food products around the world and are considered to be safe. In 21 C.F.R. 182.20, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) regulations provide that it is acceptable and safe to use de-cocainized coca in food products in the United [image-nocss] States. (Click here to view the regulation.)
Red Bull Simply Cola and other food products containing such extracts may therefore be sold legally in the United States, said the company. Other countries have similarly recognized the safety of using the ingredient, it added.
"Although only de-cocainized coca leaf extracts are used in Red Bull Simply Cola, we take the German authority's concerns seriously and had our product analyzed by an independent accredited institute which has confirmed that alkaloids (cocaine) from the coca leaf are not detectable in our product. Further, the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) confirmed publicly that the ingredients contained in Red Bull Simply Cola present no risk to human health and no risk of any undesired pharmacological effects including, any potential narcotic effects," the company said in a statement.
Red Bull Cola is not an energy drink but a cola of a different kind, strong and natural, and the only cola which contains 16 natural flavor ingredients including both the original kola nut and coca leaf, the company said. Red Bull Cola's ingredients contain no preservatives, no high-fructose corn syrup, no phosphoric acid and no artificial sweeteners.
Red Bull USA is headquartered in Santa Monica, Calif.
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