Four Loko drink to remove caffeine

Four Loko drink to remove caffeine
Cans of Four Loko are seen on display at a liquor store. AP/File
Four Loko drink to remove caffeine
Cans of Four Loko are seen on display at a liquor store. AP/File

Four Loko drink to remove caffeine

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The Chicago-based manufacturer of the drink Four Loko is changing its recipe. The caffeine and alcohol drink has been banned in several cities around the country.

Chicago’s City Council has talked about banning Four Loko. Other cities have already done it, even the State of Michigan. Politicians said the combination of alcohol and caffeine in Four Loko drinks were to blame for sending several college students to the hospital. The Food and Drug Administration is preparing to ban the product.

So Chicago-based Phusion Products announced a recipe change. In a statement, the company’s co-founders say they’re taking the caffeine out of the drink, leaving just the alcohol. They say Four Loko is no different than combining coffee and whiskey or cola and rum. The co-fournders say they tried unsuccessfully to navigate a politically-charged regulatory environment.