Popular drink Prime has been banned by several Australian schools on advice it contains levels of caffeine dangerous for children.
One headteacher told Newsround that as the drink can be expensive, they don't want students to feel pressured into spending lots of money buying it, especially during the current cost of living crisis. Another school banned Prime claiming it was getting in the way of children's learning.
— Prime is the newest drink craze, but it's been banned in some schools around the world.
Prime Energy caffeine comparison
This means Prime Energy drinks are not legally allowed to be sold in Australia thanks to strict energy drink regulations under Food Standards Australia New Zealand, which require energy drinks to contain no more than 32mg of caffeine per 100ml.
Australia. Several Australian schools have instituted bans on Prime energy drinks, as a health risk to students due to its high caffeine levels. ABC News noted that the Food Standards Australia New Zealand legal limit for caffeine was 32 mg per 100 ml, while Prime contains around 56 mg per 100 ml.
Amazon Australia's Prime membership is only available to customers with an Australian billing address. Amazon does not currently offer a Prime program in New Zealand. New Zealand customers can sign-up to a Prime Video-only membership using the link here.
Where to buy Prime Hydration in Australia. Prime Hydration is available to purchase at both Coles and Woolworths supermarkets, local convenience and supplement stores, as well as online retailers, after the brand officially launched in Australia in late February.
PRIME Energy contains 200mg of caffeine, per 12 oz. can. PRIME Energy is not recommended for children under the age of 18, women who are pregnant or nursing or individuals who are sensitive to caffeine.
For children (9-13 years old) the Recommended Daily Intake of Vitamin A is 600µg, which is significantly less than what is contained in a single 375mL can of PRIME Hydration. Labelling on the PRIME Hydration drinks suggests that these drinks shouldn't be consumed by children under 15 years.
Rules in the UK set out that any energy drink with more than 150mg of caffeine must be labelled high in caffeine. Prime Energy comes with a warning that says the drink is not suitable to those who are sensitive to caffeine. It also states, on its own packaging, that it's for 'over 16 years only'.
According to its website, Prime states that energy drinks are not suitable for kids under 18, pregnant people, or breastfeeding people.
The Prime Hydration drink is child-friendly and is classed as a sports drink, like Powerade or Gatorade. Sports drinks are designed to help with exercise and recovery. They are suitable for under 16s to consume.
Furthermore, Prime Hydration Drink includes additives like acesulfame potassium, which is an artificial sweetener, and dipotassium phosphate, a food additive used as a stabilizer. These additives have been associated with potential health risks, including allergic reactions and disturbances in kidney function.
With 200mg of caffeine, or that in a double shot of espresso, Prime Energy is certainly a concentrated source of the stimulant caffeine, and as such has been deemed unsafe for anyone under the age of 18.
On Prime's official website it states; "PRIME Energy is not recommended for children under the age of 18, women who are pregnant or nursing, or individuals who are sensitive to caffeine."
This product is of concern if marketed towards kids due to its high caffeine content. Prime Energy contains 200mg of caffeine per serving (equivalent to a decent double-shot espresso). This amount of caffeine is not safe for children and can cause adverse effects in some adults.
There is also the Red 40 colour dye used in Gatorade, which has been shown to be harmful to human health, especially those with allergies or children with ADHD (3). Therefore, it seems that Prime is a better choice than Gatorade overall, if you are choosing between the two.
Our Site is not intended for children under 16 years of age. No one under age 16 may provide any information to or on the Site. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 16.
For kids involved in intense and prolonged physical activity, sports drinks like Gatorade or Powerade may provide a quick source of energy (simple carbohydrates) and may help replace electrolytes such as sodium and potassium that are lost with sweating.
both electrolyte drinks. Gatorade has 350mg of electrolytes and a bigger bottle, yet prime doubles it with 825mg of electrolytes. and this water has over 3000 electrolytes.
Aldi announces return of Prime Hydration with new flavours - on one condition. The viral drink will be making its long-awaited comeback from tomorrow.
These are the rarest flavors of prime. First is Prime lemonade. There was only 10,000 of these made. It was only available for one day on Venice Beach.
Prime drinks come in two formats - Prime Hydration and Prime Energy . There is no fizz to Prime hydration but Prime energy is carbonated. Both are considered a sports drink, similar to Gatorade and Powerade.
Amazon has announced that the Australian price of Prime membership will rise from $6.99 per month to $9.99 per month from June onwards. According to Amazon Australia's Head of Prime Marcos Regalo, this increase is the first step towards the addition of new membership benefits for the service.
Why is Prime so expensive? Due to the huge demand during its UK launch, it has been hard to get hold of the hydration drink, and this has pushed up prices. On Twitter last year, KSI added that the beverage was being sold on the “black market”.