Red_bull, Red_bull Information, Red


instant coffee, vanilla bean, petit verdot whiskey, brandy, alcohol
adult industry, book awards, industry news, adult children, reluctant young
electronic circuits, high current, Power supply, solid state, foam cutter

For other uses, see Red Bull (disambiguation).

The references in this article would be clearer with a different or consistent style of citation, footnoting, or external linking.

Red Bull
Product logo
Type	Energy Drink
Manufacturer	Red Bull GmbH
Country of origin	Thailand
Introduced	1987
Related products	Cocaine (drink), Monster Energy

Red Bull is the brand name of an energy drink that originated in Thailand and, in a version adapted to Austrian tastes, is now popular throughout the world. Sold by Red Bull GmbH as an energy drink to combat mental and physical fatigue, it contains, per 250 mL (8.3 U.S. fl. oz.) serving, about 21.5 g sucrose, 5.25 g of glucose, 50 mg of inositol, 1000 mg of taurine, 600 mg of glucuronolactone, vitamin B — 20 mg of Niacin, 5 mg of Vitamin B6, 5 mg of Pantothenic Acid and .005 mg of Vitamin B12 — and 80 mg of caffeine. The caffeine in one serving is similar to that found in an average cup of brewed coffee (typically 100 mg/250 ml cup, but 72 mg for a U.S. regular 6 fluid ounces cup of coffee) or twice as much as found in a can of Coke (40 mg/330 ml can). A sugar-free version has been available since the beginning of 2003. Sugar-free Red Bull is sweetened with aspartame and acesulfame potassium, as opposed to sucrose and glucose.

The drink is intended to taste like mixed berries, and is commonly used as mixer in alcoholic drinks such as vodka and is the base ingredient in the now famous Jägerbomb and Remytini. Almost 1 billion of the slim 250 ml cans were sold in 2000 in over 100 countries, 260 million of them in the UK. In 2006, more than 3 billion cans were sold in over 130 countries. 3,903 employees generated 2.6 billion euros in turnover.

Ingredients

A can of Red Bull from the United Kingdom states the ingredients as: Water, sucrose, glucose, sodium citrates, carbon dioxide, taurine, glucuronolactone, caffeine, inositol, niacin, pantothenic acid, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, caramel and riboflavin.

In comparison, a can of Sugar Free Red Bull from the United Kingdom states the ingredients as: Water, acidity regulator sodium citrates, carbon dioxide, taurine, glucuronolactone, sweeteners (acesulfame K, aspartame), caffeine, inositol, niacin, pantothenic acid, B6, B12, thickener xanthan gum, colours (caramel, riboflavin).

In its natural form, taurine is derived from animal tissue, having been first isolated from bull (Bos taurus) bile; however, the taurine used in the Red Bull drink is produced synthetically. It is also the first energy drink to list glucuronolactone in its ingredient list.

Health concerns

The neutrality of this section is disputed.
Please see the discussion on the talk page.
This section has been tagged since December 2007.

The sale of Red Bull is prohibited in some countries, usually due to its taurine content or its alleged high level of caffeine. However, many countries which formerly banned Red Bull (and similar energy drinks) have revised their legislation to allow drinks containing taurine or higher amounts of caffeine, including Switzerland (1994) and Finland (2005). As of 2007, Red Bull remains prohibited as a soft drink in Norway, France, Uruguay, Denmark and Iceland, but is now allowed in Canada.

Red Bull is subject to numerous claims of adverse health effects, most of which are urban legends.^{[citation needed]} In 2001, the drink was investigated by the Swedish National Food Administration after being linked to the deaths of three consumers, and was completely cleared.^{[citation needed]} It has been subject to a number of other health concerns regarding glucuronolactone, a precursor of taurine. Glucuronolactone is a naturally occurring chemical compound produced by the metabolism of glucose in the human liver. It has received some notoriety due to urban legends that it was a Vietnam War-era drug manufactured by the American government.^{[citation needed]} The rumor goes on to say that it was banned due to several brain tumor-related deaths.^{[citation needed]} The rumor has since been proven false, as neither the cited British Medical Journal article nor the "banning of its consumption" ever occurred. Due to the link with taurine, only energy drinks without taurine are sold in France, but infant formula sold there (and worldwide) is commonly supplemented with taurine.^{[citation needed]} Furthermore, no warnings appear on the Food and Drug Administration website regarding its potential to cause brain tumors or other maladieshttp://www.snopes.com/medical/potables/redbull.asp

A common concern regarding the beverage is its supposedly high caffeine level. Proponents of the beverage counter critics by stating that a serving has roughly the same amount of caffeine as that found in a cup of coffee. http://www.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idUSN0637974320071106

Studies have proven that there is a positive link between drinking Red Bull and reducing levels of cortisol, but it may also lead to a high blood-pressure problem if drunk to excess.

Origins

The original Red Bull drink was developed in Thailand by the company TC Pharmaceutical, where it was sold under the Thai name \'Krating Daeng\'.Energy Drinks in the U.S. Beverage Marketing Corporation, 2006 [1] The recipe was based on Lipovitan, an earlier energy drink that had been introduced to Thailand from Japan. Krating Daeng sales soared across Asia in the 1970s and 1980s, especially among truck drivers, construction workers and farmers. Truck drivers used to drink it to stay awake during the long late night drive. The working class image was boosted by sponsorship of Thai boxing matches, where the logo of two red bulls charging each other was often on display.

The Thai product was transformed into a global brand by Dietrich Mateschitz, an Austrian entrepreneur. Mateschitz was international marketing director for Blendax, a German toothpaste company, when he visited Thailand in 1982 and discovered that Krating Daeng helped to cure his jet lag.Selling Energy, Economist, May 9 2002 [2] Between 1984 and 1987, Mateschitz worked with TC Pharmaceutical (a Blendax licensee) to adapt Krating Daeng for European audiences. At the same time Mateschitz and Chaleo Yoovidhya founded Red Bull GmbH; each investing $500,000 of savings and taking a 49% stake in the new company. They gave the remaining 2% to Chaleo\'s son Chalerm, but it was agreed that Mateschitz would run the company.Soda with a buzz, Forbes, 28 March 2005, [3] Red Bull GmbH launched the “Austrian” version of Red Bull in 1987, which is carbonated and not as sweet as the original Thai recipe. “Austrian” Red Bull entered its first foreign market (Hungary) in 1992, and the United States (via California) in 1997.Red Bull GmbH Company History. Retrieved on 2007-10-12.

It is the Austrian formula that has taken almost half of the US market for energy drinks, and up to 80% of the market in some other countries.

In addition to owning half of Red Bull GmbH, Chaleo and his son continue to market the original formula across Asia. In 2006, Forbes Magazine listed Chaleo as being the 292nd richest person in the world with an estimated net worth of over $2.5 billion\'Billionaires, #292 Chaleo Yoovidhya, Forbes , 2006 [4] while Mateschitz was listed at number 317.\'Billionaires, #317 Dietrich Mateschitz, Forbes , 2006 [5]

Red Gaur(Bull) can front.JPG

Front of Krating Daeng.

Red Gaur(Bull) can back.JPG

Back of Krating Daeng.