Dive Summary:

• Three Democratic congressmen have sent letters of inquiry to many of the leading energy drink makers in the U.S., including Monster, Red Bull and Pepsi.
• These letters join other governmental agencies in trying to assess exactly how the companies market their products and the specifics on their ingredients.
• A major position the letters are trying to discern is whether the companies who make these drinks consider their products standard beverages or dietary supplements, a serious distinction on how ingredients are regulated.

From the article:

“Energy drink companies need to be clear with consumers about what they think their product is, what it contains and what it can do,” said Rep. Markey, who previously asked the Federal Trade Commission to investigate the claims of energy drinks. “The broad claims made by these products and their blurred classification in the marketplace make it difficult for consumers, particularly young consumers, from making informed decisions about their consumption.”