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"   Food companies have been increasingly interested in adding caffeine to their products. Now that items like caffeinated gum, cracker jacks, and jelly beans exist, the FDA has decided to investigate their safety and the potential for marketing products that are inherently unsafe for children. According to the Associated Press, the decision to study caffeinated foods was sparked by Wrigley&amp;#039;s latest buzz-providing product, Alert Energy Gum. The gum has the equivalent of caffeine found in a half a cup of coffee in each piece of gum, which Michael Taylor, FDA&amp;#039;s deputy commissioner of foods, considers to be, &amp;quot;four cups of coffee in your pocket.&amp;quot; More from Delish: Groceries Get Odd: 10 New Food Products The only time caffeine was actually approved by the FDA for use in a beverage or food item was in the 1950s for sodas. Taylor is particularly concerned about the current availability of caffeine in foods. &amp;quot;It is disturbing. We&amp;#039;re concerned about whether they have been adequately evaluated,&amp;quot; he stated. The amount of caffeine present in any given product is currently determined by the company that manufactures the product. Caffeine has an FDA classification of GRAS, or generally recognized as safe, so manufacturers are left to decide whether or not the item is safe for the public. The FDA is planning to specifically look at the new ways that caffeine is being marketed to the consumer. Taylor calls these latest methods of consuming caffeine, &amp;quot;new and easy sources.&amp;quot; The FDA will also look at the effects these sources could have on children&amp;#039;s health. More from Delish: Cool Beans: The Best Coffee Shops in the U.S. While companies producing these products are adamant that they are not and will not market them to children, many feel it crosses a line to have caffeinated gum sitting with all the other candy that is marketed to kids. Michael Jacobson, director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, explained, &amp;quot;One serving of any of these foods isn&amp;#039;t likely to harm anyone. The concern is that it will be increasingly easy to consume caffeine throughout the day, sometimes unwittingly, as companies add caffeine to candies, nuts, snacks, and other foods.&amp;quot; The FDA plans to look at caffeinated products as a whole, rather than at individual products. They will study the high number of foods and drinks made with caffeine on the market today and how the proliferation of caffeine could ultimately cause health issues for kids. Find more great food content on Delish: Search for the perfect recipe from our homepageFind out the latest food newsGet a recipe book to save your favorite dishesSign up for our free newsletters Check us out on Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.delish.com/food/news/a39718/fda-study-caffeinated-food-products/>