Mars subsidiary Wrigley has taken its new gum 'Alert' off the market in the US following news that the US Food and Drug Administration plans to investigate the safety of caffeine in food products.
The FDA said in response to the growing trend to add caffeine to products, it intended to investigate the safety in food products, particularly its effects children and adolescents.
Michael R. Taylor, deputy commissioner for foods and veterinary medicine at FDA, said caffeine is being added to jelly beans, marshmallows, sunflower seeds and other snacks for its stimulant effect.
He pointed to an instant oatmeal on the market with as much caffeine as a cup of coffee per serve, and a so-called "wired" waffle and "wired" syrup with added caffeine.
“The proliferation of these products in the marketplace is very disturbing to us,” Taylor said on the FDA's consumer updates page.
Just a few weeks ago, Wrigley launched a new pack of gum with eight pieces, each containing the same amount of caffeine as half a cup of coffee – or four cups of coffee per pack. It has reportedly now taken the product off the market temporarily.
“Our concern is about caffeine appearing in a range of new products, including ones that may be attractive and readily available to children and adolescents, without careful consideration of their cumulative impact,” Taylor said.
“We need to better understand caffeine consumption and use patterns and determine what is a safe level for total consumption of caffeine. Importantly, we need to address the types of products that are appropriate for the addition of caffeine, especially considering the potential for consumption by young children and adolescents.”
Taylor said the FDA had already met with some companies to hear their rationale for adding caffeine to varied products and to express its concern.
“We've also reached out to the American Beverage Association, which represents the non-alcoholic beverage industry, and the Grocery Manufacturers Association, which represents food, beverage and consumer-products companies,” he said.
“If necessary, and if the science indicates that it is warranted, we are prepared to go through the regulatory process to establish clear boundaries and conditions on caffeine use. We are also prepared to consider enforcement action against individual products as appropriate.
“However, we hope this can be a turning point for all to prevent the irresponsible addition of caffeine to food and beverages. Together, we should be immediately looking at what voluntary restraint can be used by industry as FDA gets the right regulatory boundaries and conditions in place,” Taylor said.
According to Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ), caffeine-added foods in this part of the world must state that the product contains caffeine on the label.
FSANZ also says there is currently no recognised health-based guidance value, such as an Acceptable Daily Intake, for caffeine.
However, a FSANZ Expert Working Group analysed the available literature in 2000 and concluded that there was evidence of increased anxiety levels in children at doses of about 3mg of caffeine per kilogram of bodyweight per day. The anxiety level for children aged 5-12 equates to a caffeine dose of 95mg per day (approximately two cans of cola) and about 210mg per day (approximately three cups of instant coffee) for adults.
Wrigley takes ALERT, its new caffeine-added gum, off the US market temporarily.
