SALEM, Ore., Jan. 3 (UPI) -- The Oregon Department of Justice Friday filed legal papers to force the makers of 5-Hour Energy drink to hand over data on the drink's ingredients.
The legal action, filed against 5-Hour Energy's makers and marketers, Innovation Ventures LLC, Living Essentials LLC and Microdose Sales LLC, will be used in an investigation into the drink's claim that people who consume the two-ounce caffeinated drink don't experience a post-use crash, The Oregonian reported.
A 33-state investigation has been established to investigate the drink's claims, which also include that 73 percent of 3,000 doctors recommend the drink and that it is suitable for teens.
However, U.S. Food and Drug Administration records indicate there have been 92 "adverse incident reports" involving 5-hour Energy. Reports linked the drink to spontaneous abortion, heart attacks and 11 fatalities.
5-Hour Energy handed over some documents to Oregon's health fraud unit in April, but those documents contained redacted data on specific amounts of ingredients used in the drink.
In June, 5-Hour Energy filed a lawsuit in an effort to block Oregon investigators from getting the unredacted information.
The legal action taken Friday requires 5-Hour Energy to turn over the unredacted document to the Oregon Department of Justice by Feb. 15.
