Press Release: Tuesday 22 October 2026
Minister Murnane O’Connor welcomes publication of Safefood Report on energy drinks
“I welcome the publication of this important Safefood report. It highlights some very interesting findings, particularly the high levels of energy drink consumption among young people and strong public support for restrictions on their sale to children. The Programme for Government committed to exploring restrictions on high caffeine energy drinks, particularly with regards to children. The data gathered by Safefood adds significantly to our understanding of this issue and will help inform future public health policy and measures in this area.
“Protecting the health and wellbeing of children and young people is a priority for both the Government and the Department of Health. The sale and consumption of stimulant drinks remains a concern, particularly given the popularity of these products among younger age groups.
“Energy drinks can be high in caffeine and sugar, and this research provides important insights into how they are consumed, how widely available they are, and public attitudes towards them. These findings will help inform evidence-based measures to protect and improve health across Ireland.”
The purpose of the Safefood report was to survey the sugar and caffeine content of energy drinks available in supermarkets on the island of Ireland. The data gathered in 2026 was compared with previous data gathered by Safefood in 2019 and 2015. The report provides a snapshot of the energy drinks market eight years after the implementation of the sugar tax.
The Safefood report notes that energy drinks are widely available across supermarkets on the island of Ireland and are particularly popular among young people. These drinks are often marketed as products that improve energy, focus and performance. However, many contain high levels of caffeine and sugar, which may negatively affect health if consumed in excess, particularly among children and teenagers.
Safefood advised that it carried out this research to better understand what energy drinks are currently available for sale; how much sugar and caffeine they contain; how energy drink products have changed since previous Safefood surveys in 2015 and 2019; and what people living on the island of Ireland think about energy drinks and possible restrictions on their sale.
The Safefood study was composed of two surveys. The first was a survey of energy drinks available in major supermarkets across the island of Ireland, conducted between February and May 2026. The second gathered insights on consumer behaviours, motivations and attitudes relating to energy drinks from a representative sample of people aged 15-74 years across the island of Ireland, through face-to-face interviews with 807 people between October and December 2025. Questions examined energy drink consumption patterns, reasons for consumption and opinions on potential regulatory measures.
Safefood’s key findings are summarised below:
- Young people (15-24 years) are the biggest consumers
- People mainly drink energy drinks for an “energy boost”
- Most people are aware of potential negative effects of energy drinks (e.g., negative effects on sleep, concentration and mood).
- There was strong public support for restrictions on sales to children (77% supported introducing a legal age restriction for buying energy drinks).
- The energy drink market is rapidly growing and increasingly varied (i.e., 77 energy drink products were available on the island of Ireland in 2026, compared with 39 products in 2015 and 42 products in 2019).
- Most energy drinks are sold as a single serving, and larger serving sizes are now more common – larger cans and bottles are increasingly available (i.e., in 2026, 55% of products were available in 500ml cans, compared with 38% in 2019). Larger serving sizes can significantly increase the amount of sugar and caffeine consumed in one sitting.
- Sugar levels remain high in many products. Average sugar levels increased from 22.6g per serving in 2019 to 30.9g per serving in 2026. This is roughly equivalent to an increase of two teaspoons of sugar per serving. Of note, a large proportion of energy drinks are reduced sugar (37% in 2026). While 31% of energy drinks were liable for sugar tax (i.e., contained more than 5g sugar per 100ml), this represented a reduction compared with both 2015 (74%) and 2019 (41%).
- Caffeine levels are also high. In 2026, the average caffeine content was 115mg, equivalent to 1.4 cups of espresso per serving. There was almost no change in caffeine content per 100ml from 2015 to 2026; however, larger container volumes mean people may consume more caffeine in one drink.
The Department of Health and the Minister welcome the publication of this important report. The research provides valuable insights into energy drink consumption, product contents and availability, and public attitudes towards these beverages. This evidence will help inform future public health policy initiatives.