Red Bull

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Red Bull
owner Red Bull GmbH
Introductory year 1987
Products Energy drink
Markets Worldwide
Website redbull.com
Red Bull advertising vehicle in Switzerland

Red Bull ( Engl. "Red Bull") is an energy drink of the Austrian company Red Bull GmbH . Since its introduction in 1987, more than 81 billion (as of 2019) cans of the drink have been sold worldwide, making it by far the best-selling energy drink in the world.

Company and history

Red Bull headquarters in Fuschl am See

The idea for beverages containing taurine came from Japan, where they were given to Japanese pilots to increase their performance during World War II . The founder of Red Bull GmbH, Dietrich Mateschitz , later imported the idea to Europe from Thailand . During a visit to Thailand in 1982, he found that a drink called Krating Daeng helped him overcome the effects of jetlag . Together with the Thai Yoovidhya Chalerm, Mateschitz founded Red Bull GmbH in Austria, they took over the marketing concept and the basic recipe, adapted them to Western tastes and thus entered the European market in 1987. At the end of the 1980s, Red Bull became particularly successful in the alternative youth and club scene (techno, mountain biking, snowboarding) through clever marketing.

Right from the start, health risks and lengthy approval processes for individual ingredients were discussed. This delayed market approval in Austria and later in Germany and other countries. Sometimes this was rumored to be a ban in some media . There was again a “ hype ” about this drink, which was new for the European market. In France, the energy drink was actually banned until Red Bull replaced taurine with arginine in 2008 . The French authorities based this ban on alleged damage to health caused by excessive consumption of Red Bull. The European Court of Justice ruled in 2004 that the French sales ban did not violate the free movement of goods . Similar bans existed in Denmark and Norway until early 2009. In May 2008, an agreement was signed to re-authorize Red Bull with taurine in France and since July 15, 2008 the original drink has been available again.

Red Bull does not have its own production facilities, but has the drink produced and bottled by the Rauch Fruchtsaft company in Nüziders ( Vorarlberg ). For export, Red Bull is not produced as a concentrate, but filled in cans and exported overseas. For the American market, it is bottled by Rauch in Switzerland, where a plant was built in Widnau SG . This location was chosen so as not to be affected in trade disputes between the EU and the USA. Red Bull is the largest buyer of Swiss sugar .

Products

Main variant

Red Bull Energy Drink , mostly just called Red Bull , consists mainly of water , sugar ( sucrose , glucose or aspartame in the sugar-free version), caffeine , taurine and added vitamins . Red Bull is based on the energy drink Krating Daeng ( กระทิง แดง , dt. "Red gaur "), which is mainly used in Thailand . According to the manufacturer, the drink should have an invigorating effect and performance-enhancing properties, which should result from the composition of its ingredients. The caffeine content of a can (250 ml) corresponds to 80 milligrams, about that of a cup of filter coffee . Like most energy drinks, a can of Red Bull is the same as a small mocha with lots of sugar.

The sugar-free version Red Bull Sugarfree with an energy content of 35  kJ per can (for comparison: 485 kJ in the sugar-containing version) has been available since 2003 and the Red Bull Zero Calories version (4.5 kJ per can) since 2012 . Aspartame is used as a sweetener. Since the beginning of 2007 there has been a larger, 355 ml jar in addition to the 250 ml jar that had been used up until then, although the tall, narrow shape was retained. A can with a capacity of 473 ml has been available since the beginning of 2009, the shape of the can has been retained, and since 2015 a 330 ml can. Red Bull has been available in 250 ml glass bottles since the early 1990s. As a result of the German one-way deposit , Red Bull has been available in 250 ml PET cans and 330 ml PET bottles since 2008 . These were mainly developed for the offer at discounters like Netto Marken-Discount , because they did not have to take back any other beverage cans made of aluminum or tinplate.

Red Bull is not an alcoholic drink, but it is often offered in bars as a long drink mixed with vodka under the name Vodka Energy . Other names for this drink are Flügerl, Vodka Bull, Ferrari or in Switzerland Gummibärli. This restaurant offer exists even though in some countries the cans are labeled with the warning “do not mix with alcohol”.

Red Bull is available in more than 167 countries (as of the end of 2015) and in 2013 over 5.38 billion cans were sold. Sales rose to more than 5 billion euros. Despite numerous imitation products , Red Bull has a market share of around 26% in energy drinks (as of 2010) throughout Germany. In the USA, the market share is almost 40% (as of 2011).

Minor variants

From October 20, 2009, the Red Bull Energy Shot was offered in Germany . The "Energy Shot" without carbonic acid is offered in deposit-free plastic bottles with 60 ml content, the caffeine content of 133 mg / 100 ml being higher than in the usual Red Bull cans. Thus, an "Energy Shot" in 60 ml contains the same amount of caffeine as a 250 ml can of regular Red Bull. According to information from the Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety (AGES), the Energy shots are not an energy drink in the traditional sense but these products are sold as dietary supplements.

Red Bull in the special editions Red, Blue and Silver

The following safety information is printed on the bottles of the Red Bull Energy Shot labels in Austria, which is mandatory due to the food supplement regulation:

“This product is not a substitute for a varied diet and should be stored out of the reach of children. Recommended daily dose: 1 bottle. The recommended daily dose should not be exceeded. "

In 2013 the Energy Shot was withdrawn from the market. Since September 2011 there are also “Special Editions” of Red Bull Energy Drink in three flavors: as Red Edition ( cranberry ), Blue Edition (blueberry) and Silver Edition (lime). Each variety costs as much as a conventional Red Bull. The Special Editions are based on the same formula as Red Bull Energy Drink. There were similar variations before, back then in the flavors fruit, cola (not to be confused with Red Bull Cola ) and coffee.

Another flavor was added later: as a Summer Edition (Tropical) in a yellow tin.

Since 2016 there has been a Summer Edition (apple-kiwi) in a green tin and the Spring Edition (cherry blossom) in a pink tin, the yellow Summer Edition has been sold under the name Yellow Edition since then, and a winter edition has been available since autumn 2016 ( Plum- cinnamon) available.

The Summer Edition 2017 has been on sale since April in the flavor pink grapefruit in a ruby ​​red tin and is available in limited editions. The Summer Edition 2018 has been sold in the coconut - blueberry flavor since April 2018 and can be recognized by a white can. The Summer Edition Coconut Blueberry joins the series of already existing Summer Editions: “Pink Grapefruit” (The Pink Edition), “Tropical” (The Yellow Edition), “Blueberry” (The Blue Edition) and “Kiwi Apple “(The Green Edition). Since October 2018, the new winter edition has also been available with the “Rumtopf” flavor in a bronze-colored can.

Since summer 2017 there has been a new variant of the drinks called "Organics by Red Bull". The company is launching a cola variant and bitter drinks in the variants bitter lemon, ginger ale and tonic water on the Austrian market. According to the company, these are not energy drinks, but “organic soft drinks made from ingredients 100 percent natural”.

ingredients

Ingredients as stated on the can are (in Austria and Germany, Red Bull with sugar): water, sucrose, glucose, sodium citrate as an acid regulator , carbonic acid, plus taurine (0.4%), caffeine (0.03%), vitamins ( Niacin , pantothenic acid , B6 , B12 ) added as well as flavors and colors ( caramel , riboflavin ).

Red Bull Energy Shot bottle 60 ml

Ingredients according to the information on the Energy Shot bottles (60 ml) are (in Germany): water, sucrose, glucose, taurine (1 g to 60 ml), citric acid as an acidifier and sodium citrate as an acidity regulator, caffeine (80 mg per 60 ml ), Glucuronolactone, inositol, vitamins (niacin, pantothenic acid, B6, B12), as a sweetener sucralose , as an antioxidant ascorbic acid and in addition aroma and color (simple caramel, riboflavin).

Effects

Mental performance effects

According to studies, Red Bull (like other energy drinks) increases the current mental performance, which should be shown in a faster reaction time, for example, in decision-making tasks, better concentration and an improvement in memory performance in memory tasks. The performance-enhancing effects are mainly due to the effects of caffeine, but possibly to the special combination of ingredients.

The effect of caffeine is undisputed, the EFSA has checked several suspicions on the subject of caffeine. As a result, four clear effects were demonstrated:

  • Increase in physical performance in exercises with high intensity but short duration
  • Increase in athletic performance
  • Increase in endurance
  • Reduction of self-perceived exhaustion

A study by the University of Utrecht found that taking Red Bull before long car journeys is beneficial for drivers. The effects are reduced fatigue and higher driving performance after consumption.

There are studies to the contrary, suggesting that a healthy 50 to 60 minute nap can produce the same results. This study considers that the apparent improvements in performance with caffeine intake may be due to the caffeine intake reversal of withdrawal symptoms in the subjects.

Sporting performance effects

Red Bull (and comparable products) are said to have a positive influence on athletic performance in some cases. This should not only be due to the effect of the caffeine, but to the combination of the various ingredients. The expression " anaerobic performance" is used to describe the muscle performance that can be produced without (or with significantly insufficient) oxygen supply . In the Wingate test , in which a bicycle ergometer is pedaled for 30 seconds at maximum speed against a larger, constant resistance, there was no improvement or deterioration in performance by Red Bull in three laps with two minutes of recovery time in between.

Another randomized, double-blind study with students did not find any better Wingate test performance by Red Bull. In contrast, Alford found an improvement in performance in maintaining maximum speed on the stationary bike. In three series of bench presses with a load of 70% of maximum strength and a break of one minute in between, a statistically significant increase in performance in the form of more possible repetitions by Red Bull was shown.

The aerobic endurance capacity describes the performance that can be produced with a full oxygen supply . Alford found a statistically significant improvement in endurance performance on the bicycle ergometer in the range of 65% to 75% of the maximum heart rate . Geiss found an improvement in aerobic endurance in endurance athletes, which depended on the combination of substances and the presence of taurine . Echocardiographic examinations on trained endurance athletes showed a measurable influence of Red Bull on cardiac muscle work that exceeded the pure caffeine effect. Maintaining a maximum speed on the exercise bike is positively influenced by Red Bull.

Possible health risks

The Red Bull sold in Canada is a caffeinated version of the Thai Krating Daeng . It was not allowed to be sold in Canada until the end of 2004. Since then, the cans approved for sale have had to carry a warning: “Warning: contains caffeine. Not recommended for children, pregnant or breastfeeding women, people with caffeine sensitivity; do not mix with alcohol. Do not consume more than 500 milliliters per day. ”Such warning texts are not displayed on cans sold in the USA or Great Britain.

A test by Öko-Test magazine in 2007 came to the conclusion that the drink had too much sugar, unnecessary vitamins and problematic ingredients. The overall grade of the test was poor . Among other things, the magazine emphasized that the drink, like most products in its class, is unsuitable for athletes because the high sugar content blocks fluid absorption into the body. This is countered by a scientific assessment by EFSA. In one study, scientists found that the consumption of energy drinks had no effect on the ability to absorb fluids. Like other sugary drinks, Red Bull puts a strain on tooth enamel and can contribute to its damage.

Doctors from the World Health Organization warn of dangers, especially when consuming alcohol together. In addition to possible interactions with other ingredients, caffeine counteracts the drowsiness normally caused by alcohol. Consumers feel awake longer and are easily tempted to consume significantly larger amounts of alcohol than they would have without the caffeine.

Advertising and sponsorship

Audi with the Red Bull GmbH logo in the DTM

The company sponsors a variety of sporting events, especially in the extreme sports sector. The most famous events include the freestyle motocross series “ Red Bull X-Fighters ” and the air racing series “ Red Bull Air Race World Championship ”, “ Red Bull Crashed Ice ” and meanwhile world championships in wingsuit flying. Red Bull has been known for sponsoring the Red Bull BC One breakdance world championship for 10 years . Other activities include the Red Bull Flugtag , the Red Bull Soapbox Race and the Great Himalaya Trail ultramarathon .

Red Bull is involved in Formula 1 with the two teams Red Bull Racing and Scuderia Alpha Tauri .

In football, Red Bull has a strong influence on the clubs RB Leipzig , FC Red Bull Salzburg , FC Liefering , New York Red Bulls , Red Bull Bragantino , Red Bull Brasil , and in ice hockey on EC Red Bull Salzburg and EHC Red Bull Munich . Above all, however, the commitment in Leipzig caused some strongly negative reactions from fan groups of other clubs and in Salzburg, after the entry of the company, a new club was founded by former fans under the traditional name SV Austria Salzburg . From 2008 to 2014, Red Bull also had a football academy in West Africa with its own club called Red Bull Ghana .

Attracted worldwide attention being financed by Red Bull stratospheric jump Red Bull Stratos by Felix Baumgartner . The broadcaster n-tv broadcast the jump live in Germany on a Sunday evening and briefly achieved a market share of 19.9 percent with 7.1 million viewers.

Red Bull owns the television broadcaster ServusTV , based in Salzburg , through its subsidiary Red Bull Media House GmbH .

Red Bull advertises that the energy drink improves performance ( see above ), although scientific evidence for this is not uniform. In 2014, the company was sued in a New York court for misleading advertising. To avoid a lengthy and costly legal process, Red Bull agreed to a $ 13 million settlement. Red Bull also agreed to pay consumers $ 10 for every Red Bull energy drink purchased between 2002 and 2014 as compensation. Some media - u. a. the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung - falsely reported that the trial was about whether Red Bull "gives you wings" according to its slogan.

Accidents

Red Bull's marketing focused on extreme sports has been criticized since 2009. A number of athletes had fatal accidents at Red Bull events and campaigns. Around one extreme athlete dies every year at the extreme sports events organized by Red Bull.

The accidents that have become known include the following:

  1. 14-year-old motorcyclist Toriano Wilson had a fatal accident at the “Red Bull AMA US Rookies Cup” on August 17, 2008. He was run over by the following drivers.
  2. The US American Caleb Moore was hit by his snowmobile in a backflip on January 24, 2009 at the "Winter X-Games". He died a short time later.
  3. Shane McConkey was killed on March 26, 2009 in a stunt for the film about his life, produced by Red Bull. He wanted to jump off a cliff on the Sass Pordoi on skis , do two backflips and then slide down the mountain in a wingsuit . Since a ski did not come off the foot, he lost control and hit the ground fatally. The film was finished anyway.
  4. Eli Thompson was killed in a wingsuit jump on August 28, 2009 . In the Swiss Alps , he was supposed to jump out of a helicopter for the Red Bull promotional film Human Flight 3D and fly past a rock edge in a wingsuit. But he collided with the rock face and died in Lauterbrunnen valley .
  5. The BASE jumper Ueli Gegenschatz accident on 11 November 2009 jumping off Sunrise Tower in Zurich and died two days later.
  6. On February 28, 2013, Japanese motocross rider Eigo Sato died while training for "Red Bull X-Fighters" in a failed backflip .
  7. On October 8, 2013, the Hungarian Viktor Kovats died at the World Championships in wingsuit flying in the Chinese province of Hubei, organized by Red Bull .
  8. Matilda Rapaport died on July 18, 2016 in an avalanche accident while filming the Ubisoft computer game Steep .
  9. On November 11, 2017, the Russian base jumper Valeri Rosow died while jumping from Mount Ama Dablam in the Nepalese Himalayas .

literature

  • SC Forbes, DG Candow, JP Little, C. Maqnus, PD Chilibeck: Effect of Red Bull energy drink on repeated Wingate cycle performance and bench-press muscle endurance . In: International Journal of Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism . tape 17 , no. 5 , 2007, p. 433-444 , PMID 18046053 .
  • Erin Mueller, Leah Rado, Megan Weise, Trevor Cass: Effects of Red Bull on Wingate Testing of College ages Students . In: Journal of Ungraduate Kinesiology Research . tape 2 , no. 2 , 2007, p. 12–18 (English, minds.wisconsin.edu [PDF]).
  • Wolfgang Fürweger : The Red Bull story. The incredible success of Dietrich Mateschitz . Ueberreuter, Vienna 2008, ISBN 978-3-8000-7321-4 .

Web links

Commons : Red Bull  - collection of images, videos and audio files
 Wikinews: Category: Red Bull  - in the news

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ [1]
  2. ↑ Face value: Selling energy. In: Economist.com. May 9, 2002, accessed on June 22, 2009 : "How Dietrich Mateschitz turned Red Bull into a cult tipple"
  3. ↑ Red Bull starts in France. In: Salzburger Nachrichten online. May 18, 2008, accessed November 14, 2008 .
  4. ↑ Wolfgang Syrowatka: Red Bull now also available in France. In: Website of the Association of Industry in Salzburg. July 15, 2008, accessed November 14, 2008 .
  5. ↑ Fruit juice manufacturer invests in can filling. In: vorarlberg.orf.at , February 14, 2013, accessed on May 31, 2016
  6. ↑ Rauch buys in Widnau . In: iv-vorarlberg.at , accessed on July 26, 2011.
  7. ↑ Daniel Menning: Sweetened business - beverage giant Red Bull benefits from federal subsidies , srf.ch, March 4, 2020.
  8. ↑ What are the Red Bull Editions? In: energydrink.redbull.com
  9. ↑ Andrea Barthélémy: The risky mix of alcohol with energy drinks. In: welt.de , December 28, 2014
  10. ↑ Red Bull company . In: energydrink-at.redbull.com , accessed May 5, 2014
  11. ↑ Red Bull market share . In: statista.com , accessed May 5, 2014
  12. ↑ Red Bull introduces new "Energy Shot". ( Memento of the original from May 5, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. In: planetsnow.de , accessed May 5, 2014. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.planetsnow.de
  13. ↑ AGES website
  14. ↑ Red Bull Editions - Types :: Energy Drink :: Red Bull Germany. Retrieved July 14, 2017 .
  15. ↑ Red Bull launches Bitter Line. In: derStandard.at. Retrieved June 22, 2017 .
  16. ↑ “Organics”: Three new organic varieties from Red Bull. In: desired.de. June 22, 2017. Retrieved July 25, 2017 .
  17. ↑ a b c d e f g C Alford, H Cox, R. Westcott: The effects of red bull energy drink on human performance and mood . In: Amino Acids . tape 21 , no. 2 , 2001, PMID 11665810 .
  18. ^ A b F. van den Eynde, PC van Baelen, M. Portzky, K. Audenaert: Energy drink effects on cognitive performance ( Memento of December 21, 2008 in the Internet Archive ) . In: Dutch Journal of Psychiatry (Tijdschrift voor Psychiatrie) . tape 50 , no. 5 , 2008, p. 273-281 (abstract).
  19. ↑ EFSA NDA Panel (EFSA Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies), 2011. Scientific Opinion on the substantiation of health claims related to caffeine and increase in physical performance during short-term high-intensity exercise (ID 737, 1486, 1489) , increase in endurance performance (ID 737, 1486), increase in endurance capacity (ID 1488) and reduction in the rated perceived exertion / effort during exercise (ID 1488, 1490) pursuant to Article 13 (1) of Regulation (EC) No. 1924/2006. EFSA Journal 2011; 9 (4): 2053, 24 pp. doi: 10.2903 / j.efsa.2011.2053
  20. ↑ Mets et al .: Positive effects of Red Bull® Energy Drink on driving performance during prolonged driving. Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2011 Apr; 214 (3): 737-45. doi: 10.1007 / s00213-010-2078-2 . PMID 21063868 .
  21. ^ SC Mednick, DJ Cai, J. Kanady, SP Drummond: Comparing the benefits of caffeine, naps and placebo on verbal, motor and perceptual memory. PMID 18554731
  22. ^ Caffeine No Substitute for a Nap to Enhance Memory. ( Memento of the original from December 7, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.nimh.nih.gov archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. In: nimh.nih.gov
  23. ↑ a b M Baum, M Weiss: The influence of a taurine containing drink on cardiac parameters before and after exercise measured by echocardiography . In: Amino Acids . tape 20 , no. 1 , 2001, p. 75-82 , PMID 11310932 .
  24. ↑ Eli W. Erlick: Red Bull Energy Drink: "Special Ingredients" or a Caffeine and Sugar Effect? (PDF; 13 kB) (No longer available online.) In: Project Number J1510. California State Science Fair, 2007, archived from the original on October 28, 2008 ; accessed on July 21, 2008 (English). Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.usc.edu
  25. ↑ a b K. R. Geiß, I. Jester, W. Falke, M. Hamm, K.-L. Waag: The effect of a taurine-containing drink on performance in 10 endurance athletes . In: Amino Acids . tape 7 , no. 1 , 1994, doi : 10.1007 / BF00808445 (abstract).
  26. ↑ a b SC Forbes, DG Candow, JP Little, C Maqnus, PD Chilibeck: Effect of Red Bull energy drink on repeated Wingate cycle performance and bench-press muscle endurance . In: International Journal of Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism . tape 17 , no. 5 , 2007, p. 433-444 , PMID 18046053 .
  27. ↑ Erin Mueller, Leah Rado, Megan Weise, Trevor Cass: Effects of Red Bull on Wingate Testing of College ages Students . In: Journal of Ungraduate Kinesiology Research . tape 2 , no. 2 , 2007, p. 12–18 ( minds.wisconsin.edu [PDF]).
  28. ↑ Ökotest , No. 8/2007, p. 28 ff.
  29. ^ EFSA NDA Panel (EFSA Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies) 2015. Scientific Opinion on the safety of caffeine. EFSA Journal 2015; 13 (5): 4102, 120 pp. doi: 10.2903 / j.efsa.2015.4102
  30. ↑ BM Owens: The potential effects of pH and buffering capacity on dental erosion . In: General Dentistry . tape 55 , no. 6 , 2007, p. 527-531 , PMID 18050578 .
  31. ↑ Felicitas Witte: Energy drinks: Risky kick from the can. In: spiegel.de , October 17, 2014, accessed December 19, 2015
  32. ↑ a b Frank Patalong: Protect extreme athletes from themselves! In: Spiegel Online . October 12, 2013, accessed November 21, 2016 .
  33. ↑ Redbull.com as of March 25, 2018
  34. ↑ Better than ARD “Tagesschau”: Baumgartner brings n-tv dream quota. In: Spiegel online Kultur , October 15, 2012.
  35. ↑ Wolfgang Fürweger: The Red Bull Story. The incredible success of Dietrich Mateschitz. Ueberreuter, Vienna 2008, ISBN 978-3-8000-7321-4 , p. 18 ff.
  36. ^ David Mikkelson (October 8, 2014). Red Bull Does (Not) Give You Wings. Did consumers win a $ 13 million lawsuit against Red Bull because they didn't grow wings? on snopes.com , accessed on March 15, 2020
    Red Bull doesn't give wings at all faz.net, accessed on March 15, 2020
  37. ↑ Death of an extreme athlete: Sharp criticism of Red Bull. In: diepresse.com , accessed on November 19, 2009.
  38. ↑ Helmar Büchel: The dark side of Red Bull . ( Memento of the original from September 15, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Documentary in Das Erste (2013), accessed May 9, 2013 @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.ardmediathek.de
  39. ↑ Marcus Hellwig: Eighth fatal accident. The Red Bull drama. In: bild.de , May 5, 2013, accessed on May 14, 2014.
  40. ↑ Uwe Buse: Games without borders . In: Der Spiegel . No. 1 , 2017, p. 70–74 ( online - December 30, 2016 , restricted view).
  41. ↑ a b c Red Bull Accidents: The Dark Side of Event Marketing? In: bluemind.tv. June 30, 2016. Retrieved October 17, 2016 .
  42. ↑ xgames.espn.go.com
  43. ↑ Matilda Rapaport, an Extreme Skier, Is Dead at 30. The New York Times , July 28, 2016, accessed January 10, 2020 .
  44. ↑ Favor for Red Bull , Der Standard, Jan. 7, 2018
  45. ↑ Extreme sports: Deaths among Red Bull extreme athletes find a sad continuation , Der Standard