FDA cites risks of powder caffeine supplement

Tennessee residents should be warned that some legal products may still be dangerous, says the Food and Drug Administration. A commercially available product, purified powdered caffeine, has recently come under fire for its lethality in even small doses. Even though, as a supplement, the substance is not under jurisdiction of the FDA, some are calling for the FDA to ban the product that has allegedly caused two deaths.

In both cases, the victims of the overdoses were young and in good health, and one of the men did research on appropriate doses. Both of them apparently took more than the recommended dose, which is between 1/64 and 1/16 of a teaspoon. Since 1 teaspoon is roughly the equivalent to 25 cups of coffee, and 2 teaspoons can prove fatal, the FDA is understandably concerned about how to get this product taken off the market.

For quite some time, consumption of popular energy drinks have lead to nearly 21,000 annual emergency room visits. Caffeine and other stimulants are used to increase productivity and as a study drug. A rising number of individuals have experienced adverse reactions to the excessive caffeine levels.

Tennessee consumers should be careful to consider the risks of ingesting a purified product like caffeine powder. While widely used in manufacturing beverages, powdered caffeine is too concentrated to be taken like a supplement. Anyone who is harmed by a dangerous product should consider talking to a lawyer in order to hear more about their options for seeking compensation.

Source: US News, “FDA Hands Tied in Powdered Caffeine Abuse Cases”, Kimberly Leonard, December 29, 2014