The Food and Drug Administration, a premier nanny-state agency, is “building a legal case against companies that sell pure powdered caffeine.” The powder can be fatal in small doses.
Some major retailers have stopped selling the powder. The FDA warned consumers about the powder after the death of an Ohio teen. AP reports “Eighteen-year-old Logan Stiner of LaGrange, Ohio, died in May after consuming it. It was also linked to the death of a Georgia man this year.”
As little as a teaspoon of the powder can be lethal, the AP reports. One teaspoon is equivalent to 25 cups of coffee. Sounds like you wouldn’t want to have that much caffeine, and soon you won’t even have a choice.
Because caffeine is marketed as a supplement, like vitamins, it is unregulated. The FDA does not have the authority to pull the caffeine off the shelves so it is building a legal case for its removal.
The FDA’s deputy nanny commissioner told the Associated Press it is “inherently irresponsible” to market the product. “I would hope that people would get the message that they just ought to stop selling it,” Taylor said. Looks like they won’t get the chance since the FDA will use legal means to stop it from being sold. Taylor said they will “pursue all legal options.”
The agency is concerned that people do not know that it is a powerful chemical and that the difference between a safe amount and toxic amount is very small. Retailers could label the powder to inform consumers the powder can be dangerous if overused, but the government would rather sue the product off the shelves entirely.
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