Senior Democratic senator Chuck Schumer has called on the country's Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to investigate Prime Energy, which contains 200mg of caffeine per can - the equivalent of about two cans of Red Bull or six cans of Coke.

"One of the summer's hottest status symbols for kids is not an outfit, or a toy - it's a beverage," Mr Schumer said.

He called the drink a "serious health concern for the kids it so feverishly targets".

Prime drinks were created by YouTubers KSI and Logan Paul. The sale of the drinks has sparked chaos at supermarkets since their launch.

People were filmed pushing and shoving to get their hands on the Prime Hydration drink and KSI urged people to stop buying the drink at hugely inflated prices after reports bottles were going for up to £100 each.

There are two types of Prime drinks: Hydration, which contains no caffeine, and Energy, which does.

A Prime representative said the distinction between the two was "very important" because the products are "vastly different".

"Prime Energy... contains a comparable amount of caffeine to other top selling energy drinks, all falling within the legal limit of the countries it's sold in," they said.

"It complied with all FDA guidelines before hitting the market and states clearly on packaging, as well as in marketing materials, that it is an energy drink and is not made for anyone under the age of 18."

But in his letter to the FDA, Mr Schumer claimed there was little noticeable difference in the online marketing of the two drinks - leading many parents to believe they were buying a juice for their child, only to wind up with a "cauldron of caffeine".

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"A simple search on social media for Prime will generate an eye-popping amount of sponsored content, which is advertising," he wrote.

"This content and the claims made should be investigated, along with the ingredients and the caffeine content in the Prime energy drink."

The Prime representative said its top priority was consumer safety "so we welcome discussions with the FDA or any other organisation regarding suggested industry changes they feel are necessary in order to protect consumers".