FDA Urged to Ban Sale of Powdered Caffeine by Senators and CSPI

28 Apr 2016 --- The FDA has been again urged to ban the sale and marketing of powdered caffeine by the non-profit organization the Centre for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), which says a ban must be introduced to “protect consumers” from the hazards of the substance.

The CSPI, which launched an earlier petition to ban powdered caffeine, has joined a number of US senators including Dick Durbin of Illinois; Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut; and Sherrod Brown of Ohio in calling for the ban.

The CSPI said the death of two young men, Logan Stiner and Wade Sweatt, were “preventable tragedies and show that when it comes to dietary supplements, the system is broken.”

The non-profit organisation said: “It is astonishing that a substance that is fatal for adults in the amount of two tablespoons is sold cheaply over the internet as loose powder in large bags without clear warnings.”

The senators said: “Unfortunately, in the absence of strong regulatory action, companies are continuing to develop new delivery mechanisms and creative advertising ploys to attract new powdered caffeine users, and are doing so without relaying the serious health consequences of improper use.”

The call from the non-profit organization and the senators follows a warning from the FDA in September last year sent to five companies which market powdered caffeine- four of the products are no longer marketed to consumers.

The CSPI said: “With those companies stopped marketing the problem is bigger than those companies. After only a quick Google search, we were able to order a small bottle of liquid caffeine from South Korea that contains an astonishing 9,000 milligrams of caffeine – enough to kill nearly seven people – and yet the label says only to use it “sparingly”.

The FDA has warned about the risk of powdered caffeine, saying it can lead to irregular heartbeat, seizures and death. It is said that one teaspoon of pure caffeine is equal to drinking 28 cups of coffee.

The Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN), the American Herbal Products Association (APHA), and the United Natural Products Alliance (UNPA) have introduced guidelines advising its members not to sell powdered caffeine.