Food Product Design: Ingredient Insight - June 2004 - Caffeine Buzz

June 2004

Caffeine Buzz

By Jeanne Turner
Contributing Editor

Some believe we should add Styrofoam cups to the list of drug paraphernalia and count the addicts scattered across the country from church basements to corporate boardrooms. Caffeine -- scientifically proven to affect the central nervous system -- remains a legal "drug" of choice for millions of Americans and compatriots worldwide. However, U.S. citizens do not lead the world in caffeine consumption. That distinction belongs to adults in Sweden and Finland, who consume 400 mg per day, compared to the daily average of 210 to 238 mg consumed in the United States and Canada.

Yet despite the hype, caffeine's effects can be considered relatively mild. Unlike other social habits, such as smoking, no cases of second-hand caffeine affecting the health of passersby have been documented. In a March 1999 Pharmacological Review article compiled by Fredholm et al, Stockholm, Sweden, the research team concluded that, "there really is very little evidence that caffeine used in moderation leads to any significant negative effects on the health of the individual."

In fact, a study published in the March 2004 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association indicates some positive effects linked to caffeine ingested via coffee consumption. Researchers suggest that study participants who regularly consumed coffee or other caffeinated beverages reduced the risk of the onset of type 2 diabetes, compared to non-coffee-drinking participants.

A stimulating subject
Caffeine is an organic substance classified as a xanthine stimulant with the molecular formula C8H10N4O2. This alkaloid can be either manufactured synthetically or derived from plants. While caffeine is most commonly extracted from tea leaves and coffee beans, other sources include guarana, maté and kola. Actually, caffeine is found in varying levels in up to 40 plant species. In its commercial, ingredient form caffeine is sold as a soft, white, odorless powder or crystal with a bitter taste.  

Caffeine has FDA recognition as a GRAS ingredient or a food additive with a tolerance level of 0.02%. According to 21 CFR Sec. 182, Pt. 1180, "this substance is generally recognized as safe when used in cola-type beverages in accordance with good manufacturing practice." Naturally occurring caffeine, such as that derived from kola nuts, need not be labeled, but when used as a food additive it must appear on the ingredient label. Legal limits apply.

When using caffeine in other products, an FDA spokesperson said, "FDA is silent on caffeine's use in any other form. If you were to use it in another type of food product, a company, for whatever amount and manner they are using that ingredient, should have made a self-determination that it is generally recognized as safe by other scientists -- the burden is on them that they are marketing a safe product."

In the gray area of "functional" beverages, energy drinks can sometimes exceed the recommended level. In fact, it is actually possible to consume a lethal dose of caffeine. However, it could be a case of death from drowning, as a person would have to consume the equivalent of 80 to 100 cups of coffee in rapid succession to reach a potentially fatal level.

Various websites list the caffeine content of typical beverages. Carbonated soda brands range from 34 to 70 mg per 12-oz. serving. An average chocolate bar contains 5 to 6 mg, unless extra caffeine or guarana is added. Coffee varies widely in caffeine content depending on bean type, preparation method and the serving size, among other factors. Typically, it contains an average of 50 to 75 mg per 8-oz. cup. Espresso, on the other hand, claims 40 mg for just 1 fluid oz.

While these drinks can stimulate alertness, they also can stimulate the heart. And different people have varying sensitivities to caffeine. Some attribute insomnia to those late-afternoon energy-boosting drinks -- it takes the body anywhere from four to six hours to rid itself of half the caffeine consumed in an average cup of coffee.

Energy drinks continue to grow in popularity in both the United States and Europe. Some manufacturers, such as the United Kingdom's Jordan Grand Prix brand, differentiate their products by pointing out the absence of caffeine in formulation. This could prove a smart marketing ploy as various European Union member countries move to implement new caffeine-labeling regulations agreed to   in Feb. 2002 that require a warning label on beverages containing more than 150 mg of caffeine per liter. Last summer, Finland was the first country to institute this new rule.   For example, Red Bull, which contains 80 mg of caffeine per 250 ml, or 320 mg per liter, must now state "high caffeine content" on the product label.

H2O with a kick
Someone seeking caffeine from a clear, clean-tasting beverage can find alternatives to the coffees, teas and colas of the world. One is Water Joe®, a caffeinated, artesian water bottled by Water Concepts, Inc., South Barrington, IL. The secret, says Dave Holdener, company president, is to have a water product that tastes just like water, yet carries 60 mg of caffeine per bottle. He notes, however, that the product must be within legal limits.

The brand, introduced in 1986, has survived several market challengers. Says Holdener, "Part of the problem we saw was that the formulators did not know how to put caffeine into a water solution. Secondly, there was a lot of misbranding, sending the consumer the wrong message."

Holdener says it took his company quite some time to find a balance. "There is a threshold of milligrams per liter that one reaches when it starts to affect products' taste. We had to make sure we were consistent with the amount of caffeine we used."

Holdener adds that caffeine has no effect on product shelf life. However, when exposed to extreme low temperatures, it can sometimes settle out of solution, so the product needs to be stored properly.

The company also had to address a quality issue. "We source out a very high-quality synthetic caffeine, so Water Joe tastes like water," says Holdener.

Silence is ... decaf
In the far-flung future, coffee lovers who don't appreciate the taste differential between decaf and regular might have another option. A 2003 issue of Nature reports that researchers at the Nara Institute of Science and Technology, Ikoma City, Nara, Japan, have created a genetically modified coffee plant with 70% less caffeine in the bean compared to conventional plants. Using RNA interference, they "silenced" a gene responsible for caffeine synthesis. Although years from market viability, scientists believe that reducing the caffeine in the bean, rather than using conventional industrial techniques for decaffeination, will produce a more natural-tasting, full-flavored coffee. Of course, you could still brew it with caffeinated water.

Jeanne Turner is a freelance writer with more than 10 years of experience writing about the functional properties of food ingredients.

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