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up vote 23 down vote favorite

I heard this claim and burst into laughter assuming it was a joke, but the person said he was being serious.

Is this true that red bull contains sperm of a bull?

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2 Answers

up vote 33 down vote accepted

The rumor about bull sperm originates from the the fact that Red Bull advertises that it includes taurine, a name that if broken into its constituent parts sounds enough like "taur" (as in bull) and "urine" to create a cute little urban legend. In fact taurine is just an amino acid, and the version added to food isn't an animal product at all.

The Red Bull brand addresses this urban legend on a FAQ page on its website:

IS RED BULL® ENERGY DRINK SUITABLE FOR VEGETARIANS?

Red Bull® Energy Drink is suitable for vegetarians. Red Bull® Energy Drink does not contain any animal products or substances derived from animals.

IS RED BULL® ENERGY DRINK GLUTEN FREE, VEGAN, WHEAT FREE, DAIRY FREE?

Yes, Red Bull® Energy Drink is gluten free, vegan, wheat free, dairy free!

IS TAURINE MADE FROM BULLS' TESTICLES? IS TAURINE A DERIVATIVE OF BULLS' TESTICLES OR SEMEN?

The taurine in Red Bull® Energy Drink is a purely synthetic substance produced by pharmaceutical companies and is not derived from animals or animal materials. All ingredients for Red Bull® Energy Drink are synthetically produced by pharmaceutical companies. This guarantees the highest quality.

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3  
That's a marketing ploy I haven't heard before: "100% Artificial, so you know it's the highest quality!". – Muhd Feb 18 '12 at 2:58
It's just as valid as "100% Natural, so you know it's the highest quality!" – Avi Mar 14 at 21:16
up vote 19 down vote

From Red Bull

Taurine is an amino acid which is naturally occurring in the human body. It is found in high concentrations in muscle, brain, heart and blood.

…about the origin of taurine in Red Bull? Many people bet it comes from some delicate parts of the strongest and most potent bulls in the world. Well, fact is that the taurine in Red Bull is produced synthetically by pharmaceutical companies and is not derived from animals.

Taurine...

... is named after the Latin taurus which means bull or ox, as it was first isolated from ox bile in 1827

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+1 for the interesting etymology. – jozzas May 6 '11 at 5:44

protected by Community♦ Dec 22 '11 at 16:52

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