FDA Weighs Caffeine Labeling for Energy Drinks

Regulators are considering new disclosure guidelines as a Texas family pursues a wrongful death lawsuit tied to energy drink caffeine.

Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Nutrition

FDA Weighs Caffeine Labeling for Energy Drinks

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Do you trust energy drink caffeine labels to show accurate amounts?

The FDA does not currently require companies to disclose caffeine content unless it is added as a standalone ingredient, and the agency is weighing labeling recommendations that could tighten existing guidelines. The move follows a wrongful death lawsuit filed by the family of 17-year-old Larissa Rodriguez against an energy drink distributor.

Why it matters

Almost a third of teens say they regularly consume energy drinks, and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends teens limit caffeine to 100 mg per day. Clearer labeling could help consumers in the United States track how much caffeine they are consuming.

A single 200 mg can of Celsius, C4, or Alani Nu is half the adult daily maximum of 400 mg and twice the AAP's suggested teen limit of 100 mg per day. The FDA guidelines will not be legally enforceable, and the timing of final recommendations remains unsettled.

The players

Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

The federal agency responsible for regulating food, drug, and beverage labeling in the United States, and the body weighing new caffeine disclosure recommendations.

American Beverage Association

The trade group representing major beverage companies, which has agreed to voluntarily display total caffeine quantity on the drinks it sells.

American Academy of Pediatrics

The professional organization of pediatricians that recommends teens aged 12 to 18 avoid energy drinks and limit caffeine to 100 mg per day.

The details

The FDA is considering labeling recommendations for caffeine content, and caffeine labeling was added to its list of regulatory priorities this summer. The American Beverage Association has agreed to voluntarily display total caffeine quantity on the beverages it sells, while Larissa Rodriguez's family attorney said the 17-year-old died of an enlarged heart due to stress and large amounts of caffeine.

Last year: Larissa Rodriguez, age 17, died.
This summer: Caffeine labeling was added to the FDA's regulatory priorities.
This year: The FDA could tighten caffeine labeling guidelines.
End of the year: The FDA's new guidelines are expected to be released.

Nutrition Context

Under current FDA rules, caffeine content must be listed only when added as a standalone ingredient, leaving most energy drink caffeine levels undisclosed on labels. The pending review would move the agency closer to requiring the total caffeine amount that the American Beverage Association has already agreed to display voluntarily.

Shoppers who buy energy drinks may find that caffeine totals become easier to see on labels if the FDA's recommendations take hold. Parents of teens may want to check the per-can caffeine amount, since a single 200 mg can already exceeds the AAP's daily teen limit of 100 mg.

The takeaway

Checking caffeine totals on energy drink labels can help adults stay under the 400 mg daily maximum and help parents keep teens within the 100 mg limit recommended by pediatricians.

What happens next

The FDA is expected to release its new caffeine labeling guidelines by the end of the year, although those recommendations will not be legally enforceable.