An Alabama woman’s video is sparking a conversation about caffeine regulations after she spotted something strange about an Alani Nu Witch’s Brew can she bought at a gas station.
In her clip, TikTok creator @ebony.yaps shows the can she recently picked up next to one she already had at home, and right away, she notices a few differences.
What’s Wrong With The Alani Nu Can?
“Yo, I’m a little bit nervous,” she says in the clip. “I went and got some energy drinks from the gas station yesterday, and they had some Witch’s Brew. So obviously I got it.”
But here’s the thing,” she says as she flips the camera. “The can looks like this.”
At first glance, it seems normal. But the top of the can has a “Supplemented!” label by Health Canada.
“To the untrained eye, this might be normal,” she continues, “but like, 140 milligrams of caffeine?”
She then shows the version she usually buys, which contains 200 milligrams of caffeine.
“This one looks totally different,” she adds. “Am I gonna die if I drink this?”
Another difference was that the U.S. version has its typical sleek purple label, while the mystery can has a white background on the nutrition label, making it easier to read.
“I haven’t tried it yet because I’m nervous,” she says.
Commenters Think It’s A Canadian Product
The general consensus: she accidentally bought the Canadian version of the drink.
“It’s just the Canadian version.less caffeine and probably better ingredients bc they have stricter regulations,” one viewer wrote.
Another added, “You got an international version somehow. It’s not for the U.S. Caffeine regulations might also be different elsewhere.”
A third person noted that it’s not uncommon for imported items to look different. “Different countries have different regulations,” they wrote. “If you’ve ever seen snacks or drinks from Mexico, they look way different than ones in the U.S. (and taste so much better).”
The Canadian Version Theory Checks Out
That theory seems to be correct. According to Costco Canada’s listing for Alani Nu Witch’s Brew, the drink there does contain 140 milligrams of caffeine per can, compared to the 200 milligrams found in the U.S. version.
The can also carries a “Supplemented” label, which is a requirement from Health Canada for certain drinks that contain added vitamins, minerals, or caffeine.
In fact, Health Canada caps caffeine in energy drinks at 180 milligrams per serving, meaning the 140 milligrams in the Canadian Witch’s Brew falls well within their limit.
Under Canadian food regulations, the “Supplemented” label signals that the product contains ingredients considered supplemental, not nutritional. These include caffeine, taurine, or vitamins added for performance or energy, and the packaging must include extra cautionary labels.
One more difference is the lack of the ingredients L-Carnitine and L-Tartrate, found in the U.S. Alani Nu. These aren’t permitted as a supplemental ingredient in Canada. Health Canada decided not to approve it for use in energy drinks, citing insufficient safety data.
@ebony.yaps guys idk what’s wrong w this one #fyp #viral #trending #alani
How U.S. Rules Compare
While Canada tightly regulates caffeine and supplemental ingredients, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) takes a looser approach. The FDA doesn’t set specific limits for caffeine in energy drinks but recommends that healthy adults limit their intake to no more than 400 milligrams per day. That’s roughly three strong cups of coffee or two cans of the American version of Alani Nu.
BroBible reached out to Alani Nu via contact form and @ebony.yaps via email for comment.