Aldi, Lidl to stop selling energy drinks to kids

Aldi and Lidl are going to stop selling energy drinks to young children. From October 1st, kids under the age of 14 will not be able to buy energy drinks from Aldi stores, AD reports.

Aldi was the first supermarket in the Netherlands to announce this measure. The supermarket will ask for proof of identity to check the age when a child tries to buy an energy drink. Aldi will also inform customers about the health risks involved in consuming such drinks.

Lidl also announced on Tuesday that it will stop selling energy drinks to children under 14 years old. "This is the first step", spokesperson Christine Braun said to NOS. "We are now looking into whether we will increase the age limit further in the future." When the measure will be implemented, was not revealed.

Energy drinks contain large amounts of sugar and caffeine. Earlier this year Dutch pediatricians called for a ban on selling these drinks to kids under the age of 18, saying that an increasing number of children end up in emergency rooms with cardiac arrhythmias, restlessness and fatigue after consuming too many of these drinks. The Ministry of Public Health said it would investigate the effects of energy drinks.

The Dutch Nutrition Center recommends that kids under the age of 13 don't drink energy drinks at all. Older children, pregnant women and women who are breastfeeding are advised to limit it to one energy drink per day.