Four Loko alcoholic drink to lose caffeine jolt

WASHINGTON – The manufacturer of popular caffeinated alcohol drink Four Loko said Tuesday it will remove the caffeine from its products, pulling the blend off the market just as the Food and Drug Administration is poised to ban it.
Phusion Projects said in a statement posted on its website that the company will remove caffeine and two other ingredients from its products going forward.
The announcement came as the FDA is expected to find as early as Wednesday that caffeine is an unsafe food additive to alcoholic drinks. That finding essentially would ban Four Loko and other drinks like it.
The FDA ruling "should be the nail in the coffin of these dangerous and toxic drinks," Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., who has pushed the Obama administration to ban the beverages, said Tuesday.
Federal regulators would not confirm Schumers announcement that a ban was imminent, but Four Lokos statement suggests the company believed it had little choice but to reformulate its drinks.
The statement by the companys three co-founders said they were removing caffeine from the drinks after unsuccessfully trying to deal with what they called "a difficult and politically-charged regulatory environment at both the state and federal levels."
"We have repeatedly contended — and still believe, as do many people throughout the country — that the combination of alcohol and caffeine is safe," said Chris Hunter, Jeff Wright and Jaisen Freeman, who identify themselves as Phusions three co-founders and current managing partners.
The statement did not mention several recent incidents in which college students were hospitalized after drinking the beverage. In response to such incidents, four states — Washington, Michigan, Utah and Oklahoma — have banned the beverages. Other states are considering similar action.
Four Loko comes in several varieties, including fruit punch and blue raspberry. A 23.5-ounce can sells for ...