Wrigley introduced its new caffeinated Alert Energy gum to the market this week, but the FDA responded to the launch Tuesday with a statement indicating that it would reassess regulatory efforts affecting caffeinated food and beverage products.
Here's what the new gum looks like:
(Image credit: Wrigley)
This is what FDA Deputy Commissioner for Foods and Veterinary Medicine Michael R. Taylor said in a statement:
"The only time that FDA explicitly approved the added use of caffeine in a food was for cola and that was in the 1950s. Today, the environment has changed. Children and adolescents may be exposed to caffeine beyond those foods in which caffeine is naturally found and beyond anything FDA envisioned when it made the determination regarding caffeine in cola. For that reason, FDA is taking a fresh look at the potential impact that the totality of new and easy sources of caffeine may have on the health of children and adolescents, and if necessary, will take appropriate action."