As the hubbub surrounding New York City’s attempt to curtail the sale of supersized beverages appears to have settled, regulators at the highest level have turned their attention to caffeine.
May 13/Chicago -- As the hubbub surrounding New York City’s attempt to curtail the sale of supersized beverages appears to have settled, regulators at the highest level have turned their attention to caffeine. In this case, however, the products in focus are not solely beverage, and in fact, much of the concern seems to stem -- to a degree -- from a recent launch of a chewing gum. In this case, each stick promises as much caffeine as a half a cup of coffee.
While most of the attention focused on Wrigley’s April introduction of Alert Energy Caffeine Gum, regulators also have noted a host of high-energy foods in the marketplace. New pancake syrups, instant oatmeal, waffles, jelly beans, potato chips, marshmallows and sunflower seeds are among the products promising substantial caffeine additions. Speaking specifically to the Alert product, Food and Drug Administration deputy commissioner Michael Taylor, in a comment on the FDA website, noted, “We believe that some in the food industry are on a dubious, potentially dangerous path. The gum is just one more unfortunate example of the trend to add caffeine to food… One pack of this gum is like having four cups of coffee in your pocket.”