Caffeine

Caffeine in Beverages

Caffeine is found in coffee beans, tea leaves, cocoa beans and other plants. Caffeine is a safe ingredient that consumers have enjoyed in many soft drinks for more than 100 years. The beverage industry offers both caffeine-free and caffeinated soft drinks.

One of the Most Studied Ingredients

Caffeine is one of the most comprehensively studied ingredients in the food supply, with centuries of safe consumption in foods and beverages. In 1959, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) designated caffeine in cola drinks as "Generally Recognized As Safe" (GRAS). The FDA considers caffeine safe for all consumers, including children. In 1987, following extensive review, the FDA "found no evidence to show that the use of caffeine in carbonated beverages would render these products injurious to health." More than 140 countries have specifically considered the safety of caffeine and allow its use in beverages at various levels.

Caffeine and Kids

While some concerns have been raised about the effects of caffeine on the behavior of children, a recent review of the literature on caffeine and children found that "overall, the effects of caffeine in children seem to be modest and typically innocuous." As with all foods and beverages, parents should use common sense in deciding whether to give their children caffeinated foods and beverages.

Caffeine in the Diet

The most commonly known sources of caffeine are coffee, cocoa beans, kola nuts and tea leaves. For children and young adults, the primary sources of caffeine are tea and soft drinks, although caffeine intake for adults 25 and over is mostly from coffee.

Caffeine levels in popular products are as follows*:

 *Barone JJ, Roberts, HR. Caffeine Consumption. Food and Chemical Toxicology. 1996; (34): 119-129.

Caffeine in Soft Drinks

Caffeine is part of the overall profile of soft drinks, which consumers enjoy for refreshment, taste and hydration. Most of the caffeine in cola drinks is added during the formulation process. For more than 100 years, the formulas for these drinks have carefully balanced varied ingredients to achieve the combination that consumers prefer. The "pick me up" quality long associated with many soft drinks reflects this mix of ingredients, including caffeine. The bitter taste of caffeine also adds to the complex overall flavor profile of soft drinks.

Beverage companies, however, offer both caffeinated and caffeine-free versions of many soft drinks. The industry offers a wide variety of soft drinks and customers are free to choose their drink of choice, whether caffeinated or non-caffeinated.

Caffeine is not addictive

Addiction is a loosely used and, at times, loaded word that means different things to different people and is often defined differently by members of the general public. People who say they are "addicted" to caffeine tend to use the term loosely, like saying they are "addicted" to chocolate, running, shopping, work or television. However, caffeine is not addictive as experts in the scientific community define the term. In the most recent version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, the authoritative text of the American Psychiatric Association, caffeine is specifically excluded from the category of substances classified as causing "substance dependence."

Unlike drugs of abuse, people who choose to consume foods and beverages that contain caffeine can control or moderate their caffeine intake. Most people who consume caffeine maintain a relatively consistent level of intake. Caffeine is considered a mild stimulant. Scientific studies confirm that although many people enjoy caffeinated products, those who choose to stop consuming or reduce caffeine in their diets can do so without difficulty. The side effects that some people experience, such as headaches, tend to be mild and pass within a few days.

The Caffeine Content of Specific Beverages

Consistent with federal regulations, beverage companies list caffeine on product labels when it is added as an ingredient. There is no requirement to list the precise amount of caffeine present. Nonetheless, for a number of years, ABA member companies have provided caffeine content information through their corporate 1-800 numbers and Web sites. The ABA also provides guidelines on the voluntary quantitative labeling of caffeine.