Ohio

FDA Works to Pull Concentrated Caffeine Products off Shelves

Too much caffeine can cause fatal heartbeat irregularities

The Food and Drug Administration Friday declared concentrated, bulk caffeine products illegal and said it would act to get them off the shelves, NBC News reported.

"These products present a significant public health threat because of the high risk that they will be erroneously used at excessive, potentially dangerous doses," the FDA said in a statement. "Highly concentrated and pure caffeine, often sold in bulk packages, have been linked to at least two deaths in otherwise healthy individuals."

The FDA has been warning about powdered caffeine since 2014, when an Ohio teenager died after using it. One teaspoon of the powdered caffeine can deliver the equivalent of 20 or more cups of coffee, the FDA said. That's enough to kill, as too much caffeine can cause fatal heartbeat irregularities.

"Regardless of whether the product contains a warning label, such products present a significant and unreasonable risk of illness or injury to the consumer," the FDA said.

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