The Food and Drug Administration has issued warning letters to five dealers of pure powdered caffeine in the U.S. due to health risks. The agency said that powdered caffeine which were sold as food supplements may cause serious health problems to consumers when taken in high dosage.
Just last year, two young men from Ohio and Georgia were confirmed dead after they overdosed themselves with powdered caffeine. Because of the incident, federal agencies are trying to minimize the sales of the product in its pure form.
Caffeine is considered a strong stimulant especially in its pure form. For instance, a teaspoon of powdered caffeine is approximately equivalent to 28 cups of coffee. 1 tablespoon of the powdered product is considered deadly.
If a person buys a 100-gram pack which is equivalent to 3.5 ounces, it can produce 3,000 cans of Coke or 1,250 cans of Red Bull.
In a statement, FDA stated the danger of the pure powdered caffeine to consumers.
"These products are dangerous and present a significant or unreasonable risk of illness or injury to consumers. The difference between a safe amount and a toxic dose of caffeine in these pure powdered products is very small," the agency said.
The five producers that FDA warned concerning the powdered caffeine are PureBulk, SPN, Kreativ Health, Hard Eight Nutrition and Bridge City Bulk. They were given 15 days by the agency to reply and failure to do so means confiscation of their products.
Two companies have responded directly to FDA's warning letter. California-based Kreative Health president Ronald Rudnick said that their company is planning to stop the marketing of their powdered caffeine. In an email, a representative from Bridge City Bulk said that their company is "taking this matter very seriously". Other companies are still being awaited for their replies.
A consumer advocacy group named Center for Science in the Public Interest commended the move by FDA. The group also anticipates that selling of powdered caffeine will be totally banned soon. The group is known for petitioning the FDA to prohibit the sale of pure powdered caffeine.
