Should products disclose caffeine content?

The (U.S.) Food and Drug Administration currently requires beverage companies to list “caffeine” on product labels when it is added as an ingredient. But consumers don’t have to be told how much caffeine is present, even though pregnant women should limit caffeine consumption to about 300 milligrams a day, and children, who have seemingly boundless energy anyway, are more susceptible to the effects because of their low body weight.

For the last decade the Centers for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) has unsuccessfully lobbied the FDA to require caffeine-content disclosures on food and beverages so consumers can make educated decisions.

“Caffeine is an addictive stimulant,” said CSPI’s director of legal affairs, Bruce Silverglide. “And it’s the only drug added to a wide variety of foods.”

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