Asda and Aldi to ban sale of high-caffeine drinks to under-16s

Asda and Aldi are to stop selling high-caffeine energy drinks to under-16s.

Following a recent, similar ban by Waitrose, Asda became the first "big four" supermarket to bar the sale of high caffeine energy drinks to youngsters across all its stores.

The supermarket confirmed the ban would apply to 84 products from Monday, March 5 and customers wanting to buy energy drinks in-store or online may now be asked for ID.

Andrew Murray, Asda’s Chief Customer Officer said: “We have listened to our customers and want to take a leading position in this area to support parents and teachers in limiting young peoples’ access to high caffeine drinks.”

Aldi also announced that customers buying soft drinks containing more than 150mg of caffeine per litre will be asked to prove their age from March 1 across all its UK and Ireland stores.

Oliver King, Managing Director of Corporate Responsibility at Aldi, said: “We are introducing this age restriction in response to growing concern about the consumption of energy drinks among young people.”

Waitrose introduced a similar ban earlier this month, which will also come into force on March 5.

The British Soft Drinks Association introduced a voluntary code of practice in 2010 stating that high-caffeine soft drinks should not be promoted or marketed to those under 16.

In 2013, Morrisons announced a ban on children under the age of 16 from buying high-caffeine energy drinks in some stores.

Last month, campaign group Action on Sugar (AoS) found that typical serving sizes of energy drinks were larger than other sugar-sweetened drinks at an "excessive" 500ml.

Graham MacGregor, professor of cardiovascular medicine and AoS chairman, said described the drinks as "completely inappropriate" for children to consume and said they should be banned for under-16s.