Skyr plus energy drink: new mix goes viral amidst health warnings

While EU countries are tightening the sale of energy drinks, a new social media trend is giving those beverages a new twist: mixing them with the Icelandic dairy product Skyr.

In the videos with more than 700,000 views circulating across Europe and even featured in Kazakh media reports, young influencers are sharing their newly created high-protein, high-caffeine shakes online. The recipe is simple: mix a can of a citrus-flavoured energy drink with the Icelandic dairy product Skyr.

Users say the taste is “better than expected”, with many comparing it to the French yoghurt drink Actimel or even to lemon ice cream. However, health experts warn that combining it with an energy drink does not automatically make the beverage healthier, no matter how trendy it is.

This new shake brings together two major nutrition trends: high-caffeine drinks and protein-rich foods and beverages.

Europe tightens rules

According to the consumer organisation Foodwatch, the recommended maximum daily caffeine intake for a 13-year-old weighing 50 kilograms is 150 milligrams. By comparison, just one 500-millilitre can of the energy drink brand Monster featured in the videos already exceeds that limit, with 160 mg caffeine.

Europe is tightening rules on energy drinks, with Spain recently banning sales to under‑16s and considering extending the restrictions to under‑18s.

Similar measures are already in place in several European countries – France, Denmark, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Sweden, Poland, Romania and Hungary – while the Czech Republic and Portugal are weighing comparable steps, and members of the European Parliament have also signalled openness to EU-wide regulation.

(bms, ow)