Caffeine in Food and Dietary Supplements: Examining Safety. Workshop Summary. Held in Washington, DC on August 5-6, 2013.

摘要

Caffeine, a central nervous system stimulant, is arguably the most frequently ingested pharmacologically active substance in the world. Occurring naturally in more than 60 plants, including coffee beans, tea leaves, cola nuts, and cocoa pods, caffeine has been part of innumerable cultures for centuries. But the caffeine-in-food landscape is changing. From waffles to sunflower seeds, jelly beans to syrup, and even bottled water, the array of new caffeine-containing energy products, including energy drinks and supplements entering the marketplace, is, in the words of U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) commissioner Margaret Hamburg, truly mind boggling. Years of scientific research have shown that moderate consumption by healthy adults of products containing naturally occurring caffeine is not associated with adverse health effects. But the changing caffeine landscape raises concerns about safety and whether any of these new products might be targeting populations not normally associated with caffeine consumption, namely, children and adolescents, and whether caffeine poses a greater health risk to those populations than it does to healthy adults. At the request of the FDA, on August 56, 2013, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) convened a workshop in Washington, DC, to review the available science on safe levels of caffeine consumption in foods, beverages, and dietary supplements and to identify data gaps. See Box 1-1 for a detailed list of specific workshop objectives. Workshop participants included scientists with expertise in food safety, nutrition, pharmacology, psychology, toxicology, and related disciplines; medical professionals with pediatric and adult patient experience in cardiology, neurology, and psychiatry; public health professionals; food industry representatives; regulatory experts; and consumer advocates.