Caffeine Powder Poses Deadly Risks
By MURRAY CARPENTER MAY 18, 2015
▻http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/05/18/caffeine-powder-poses-deadly-risks-2
Sold as a dietary supplement, caffeine powder is virtually unregulated and widely available from online vendors, and in some stores, often marketed alongside vitamins and protein powders to fitness buffs who blend their own supplements. The packages typically include warning labels, but these are voluntary.
In its pure form, caffeine is quite powerful. A teaspoon of caffeine powder is roughly equal to 16 to 25 cups of coffee. Ten grams, about a tablespoon, is a lethal dose for an adult. A 100-gram package — as much caffeine as 400 “tall” cups of Starbucks coffee, 1,250 Red Bulls, or 3,000 cans of Coke — costs about $10.
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Though the federal government has not restricted the sale of powdered caffeine, Jennifer Corbett Dooren, a spokeswoman for the #F.D.A., said the agency “will consider taking regulatory action, as appropriate, to protect consumers.”
Kate Stiner said she could not understand the F.D.A.’s inaction. “I’m frustrated because it seems to be cut and dried to me,” she said. “And I don’t know why the delays, and I don’t know why people would even fight about it. I’m not saying ban coffee.”