(WHDH) — The Food and Drug Administration is taking action against highly concentrated and pure caffeine products after they were linked to the deaths of two otherwise healthy people.
The products present a significant health threat to the public due to the high risk of people taking excessive and potentially dangerous doses, the FDA said.
The agency issued a new guidance clarifying that dietary supplements containing pure or highly concentrated caffeine in powder or liquid forms are considered unlawful when sold directly to customers in bulk.
“The amounts used can too easily become deceptively high because of the super-concentrated forms and bulk packaging in which the caffeine is being sold,” said Scott Gottlieb, M.D., FDA commissioner.
Approximately 2,000 mg of caffeine is in a half-cup of highly concentrated liquid caffeine and a single teaspoon of powdered pure caffeine can contain about 3,200 mg of caffeine, according to the FDA. That’s the equivalent of drinking 20 to 28 cups of coffee.
The recommended serving of highly concentrated or pure caffeine products is 200 mg of caffeine, which is 1/16 of a teaspoon of pure powder or 2.5 teaspoons of a liquid.
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