The Monster Beverage company is responding to a lawsuit against them, alleging its energy drinks were responsible for the death of a 14-year-old Maryland girl saying that no blood test was performed to confirm she died of "caffeine toxicity." The disclosure comes amid heightened scrutiny of energy drinks and their caffeine levels, according to the Associated Press.
The family of Anais Fournier sued the company, claiming she went into cardiac arrest after drinking two, 24-ounce cans of Monster drinks within one day. The FDA is also investigating other reported deaths, with links to energy drinks, including five that cite Monster beverages. The agency noted the reports do not prove the drinks caused any deaths.
Monster's lawyer Danny Callahan told the AP that the company hired a team of physicians to review the medical records in the Fournier case and found that she likely died of natural causes brought on by her pre-existing conditions. The team found no medical evidence to show that caffeine was a factor, and that the finding of "caffeine toxicity" on the autopsy report was based on interviews with Fournier's mother.
A spokesman for the chief medical examiner could not immediately confirm whether a caffeine blood test had been performed, indicating the office does not comment on cases in litigation. The cause of death on her autopsy report was "cardiac arrhythmia due to caffeine toxicity" in the presence of a heart condition.
Monster experienced tremendous popularity before the spate of bad publicity dragged down its stock price in recent months. In 2011, sales volume for energy drink overall rose 17 percent, according to the industry tracker Beverage Digest, with the three biggest players - Monster, Red Bull and Rockstar - all logging double-digit gains.
Its success has also brought greater scrutiny, however. The New York state attorney general's office subpoenaed Monster as part of an investigation into how energy drinks are made and marketed.
Lawmakers have also called on the FDA to investigate the use of ingredients such as taurine in energy drinks and whether the caffeine levels are safe for children, according to AP .
Monster has stood by the safety of its drinks, which it says contain 240 milligrams of caffeine for a 24-ounce can.
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