UK-based supermarket chain Waitrose is implementing a minimum age limit on sales of high-caffeine energy drinks from 5 March.

This new initiative will see all soft drinks containing more than 150mg of caffeine per litre only sold to customers above 16 years of age. This builds on existing industry labelling guidelines that require these drinks to feature high-caffeine content warnings stating that they are not recommended to be consumed by children.

“All soft drinks containing more than 150mg of caffeine per litre [will] only sold to customers above 16 years of age.”

Waitrose technical and corporate social responsibility director Simon Moore said: “As a responsible retailer, we want to sell these products in line with the labelling guidance.

“These drinks carry advice stating that they are not recommended for children, so we’re choosing to proactively act on that guidance, particularly given the widespread concerns which have been raised about these drinks when consumed by under 16s.”

Waitrose is said to be the only supermarket in the country to announce that it will introduce a sales policy aligned with the guidance present on energy drink packaging.

Waitrose operates 352 shops in England, Scotland, Wales and the Channel Islands, as well as 27 shops within locations owned by motorway services retail store Welcome Break.