Sometimes, science beats the media to a health scare. The European Food Safety Authority has “concluded that exposure to taurine and d-glucuronolactone through regular consumption of energy drinks was not of safety concern.”
Taurine and d-glucuronolactone occur as natural ingredients in food, and are normal human metabolites. However, they are also used at much higher levels in energy drinks. The new data confirmed a No Observed Adverse Effect Level (NOAEL) of 1,000mg per kilogram of bodyweight per day for both substances[2] .
The Panel concluded that a sufficient margin of safety exists for mean and high-level regular consumers of energy drinks, drinking on average 125ml (0.5 cans) and 350ml (1.4 cans) per person per day respectively; hence, exposure to taurine and d-glucuronolactone at these levels is not a safety concern.
There was some concern that the ingredients might be behind a spate of health problems among young people, but the context of these problems – alcohol and drug consumption combined with physical exertion – were more likely contributing factors, especially as caffeine in the energy drinks could mask the effects of drugs and alcohol, leading to riskier behavior.
Posted by Trevor Butterworth 
