AP Terrell Owens

Terrell Owens has a case of bad timing. Less than 24 hours after the Dr. Pepper Snapple Group announced that the Dallas Cowboys wide receiver would endorse its energy drink Venom, a group of researchers at Johns Hopkins said that energy drinks should carry warning labels that site potential health risks.

The risks cited are what you might expect of any product that has an intense amount of caffeine, including rapid heart rate, anxiety and difficulty sleeping.

Venom seems to have the standard amount of caffeine as compared to other energy drinks. I say the word "seems" because the amount of caffeine is not listed on the bottle, but various Web sites have reported that its close to the 10 milligrams of caffeine per ounce that are in well known brands in the category such as Red Bull, Rockstar and Monster.

Although the FDA requires any soft drink that has more than six milligrams per ounce to list the amount of caffeine on the can, producers of energy drinks often get around any labeling by marketing their drinks as dietary supplements.

For its part, the American Beverage Association, the trade association that represents non-alcoholic manufacturers and distributors, said that the Hopkins study is misleading and that typical energy drinks have half the amount of caffeine that is found in a cup of coffee (see link below).

• Skimpy" Cheerleading Outfits--Why It's Good Business
• Venom Energy Drink Partners With Terrell Owens
• American Beverage Association Statement on Caffeinated Energy Drinks

Questions?  Comments?