Why does the food world think we need caffeine in EVERYTHING? Especially in things that children might eat? Like sugar?

I was on a tear a few months ago when Wrigley announced that it was going to start selling a caffeinated chewing gum supposedly aimed at adults. Luckily, I wasn’t the only one who thought it was dumb idea and Wrigley has stopped production.

But now, ThinkGeek is selling “Jacked Up Caffeinated Baking Sugar,” real sugar with 46mg of caffeine per teaspoon. The makers of Jacked up Sugar say this sugar lets you “amp up” your baked goods… or, for that matter, anything else.

An 8-ounce cup of regular brewed coffee contains between 95 and 200mg of caffeine.

Your body absorbs caffeine very quickly… in as little as 15 minutes. But, caffeine can linger in your body for up to 12 hours.

This isn’t a good thing. Especially for kids.

Potato chips, maple syrup, waffles, jelly beans, water… seems like everyday there’s a new caffeinated product on the market.

Earlier this month the Food and Drug Administration announced it would begin looking into the safety of caffeine in food products, with a particular focus on its effects on children and adolescents.

But there has been no action so far, and yet another caffeinated food item that a child might eat is now on the market. What is it going to take to get some regulations in place?

We all know the answer to that one, now don’t we?

 

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