Food and Drug Administration Targets Powdered Caffeine

U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) officials have issued warnings about the use of powdered caffeine, popular with many high school and college students to increase energy or lose weight. The recent death of a high school wrestler in Ohio, along with more than 30 other reported cases of serious health problems related to the use of the substance, has put official on alert. Authorities say the product, available mostly online, is extremely potent—a single teaspoon is the equivalent of 25 cups of coffee. Researchers have tied high levels of caffeine to elevated and erratic heart rates, seizures and death.

Connecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal has called for an outright ban on the substance, contending that it poses an immediate risk of serious injury or death. He asserts that the FDA has the authority to do that, under a 1994 law that allows the government to pull a product if it has evidence that its use is unsafe. He also contends that, because of the risk of serious health consequences, the FDA’s product warning does not go far enough.

Product manufacturers, though, believe that the product itself is inherently safe. They view the problem as one of proper use. Manufacturers typically advise users to obtain medical advice before using the product, and to use the product only as stated on the package.

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