Caffeinated water: an explanation of water containing caffeine

Caffeine water sounds like water with a dash of a stimulant – legally, however, the matter is regulated in greater detail. In Germany, flavoured water-based drinks to which caffeine has been added are classified as caffeinated soft drinks; if taurine, inositol or glucuronolactone are added, they are classified as energy drinks. A maximum caffeine content of 320 mg per litre applies to all of them. Here’s what that means for the label and how much caffeine is safe to consume per day.

What is caffeinated water?

There is no specific legal term for ‘caffeinated water’. The Fruit Juice and Soft Drinks Regulation recognises two categories:

So, depending on its ingredients, what is sold on the shelves as ‘caffeine water’ is either a caffeinated soft drink or an energy drink.

How much caffeine is in it?

The upper limit is 320 mg per litre – that is 32 mg per 100 ml or 105.6 mg in a 330-ml can. The actual amount contained in a product is stated on the label: if the content exceeds 150 mg per litre, the warning ‘High caffeine content. Not recommended for children or pregnant or breastfeeding women’ must be included, along with the caffeine content in mg per 100 ml.

By way of comparison, here are the EFSA’s figures for common drinks:

More drinks compared: caffeine table.

Caffeinated water or energy drinks: How to read the label

1. Caffeine: It appears in the list of ingredients because it has been added; if the amount exceeds 150 mg per litre, the information is also given in mg per 100 ml.
2. Taurine, inositol, glucuronolactone: if any of these appear in the list of ingredients, the drink is legally classified as an energy drink.
3. Sugar and sweeteners: The nutritional information table lists the sugar content per 100 ml; sweeteners are listed in the list of ingredients by category name and name or E number.

How much caffeine a day is okay?

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) considers single doses of up to 200 mg and up to 400 mg of caffeine spread throughout the day to be safe for healthy adults. For pregnant and breastfeeding women, the limit is 200 mg per day; for children and adolescents, it is 3 mg per kilogram of body weight per day – in each case, from all sources combined. If you have already had coffee, include that in your total. In detail: How much caffeine per day?

Blackcurrant & Pomegranate: Energy no sugar or sweetener

Our ‘Energy – Blackcurrant & Pomegranate’ variety is legally classified as an energy drink: it contains caffeine (32 mg per 100 ml) and taurine. Sugar and sweeteners do not appear in the list of ingredients; the nutritional information table states 0 g of sugar per 100 ml. Due to its high caffeine content, it is not recommended for children or for pregnant or breastfeeding women.

Frequently Asked Questions

Sources

1. Federal Ministry of Justice: Fruit Juice and Soft Drinks Regulation (FrSaftErfrischGetrV), Sections 4–6, Annex 8, accessed 16 September 2026. gesetze-im-internet.de
2. European Food Safety Authority (EFSA): Caffeine, Scientific Opinion 2015, accessed 16 September 2026. efsa.europa.eu
3. Consumer Advice Centre: Sweeteners: What are sweeteners and sugar substitutes?, as at 26 June 25. verbraucherzentrale.de
4. Consumer Advice Centre: Food labelling: What information must be included?, as at 26 March 25. verbraucherzentrale.de
5. Acqua Reaper: Product label for Energy Blackcurrant, as at 07/26.