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posted by mrpg on Monday April 16 2018, @11:00PM   Printer-friendly
from the precedence:bulk dept.

FDA Bans Pure Bulk Caffeine Products, Citing "significant Public Health Concern"

Companies can no longer sell bulk packages of liquid or powdered caffeine directly to consumers, the Food and Drug Administration announced Friday. The policy will take immediate effect "given the significant public health concern," according to the agency's statement released Friday. "Highly concentrated and pure caffeine, often sold in bulk packages, have been linked to at least two deaths in otherwise healthy individuals," the agency stated.

[...] In small doses, if you're otherwise healthy, caffeine shouldn't kill you. But part of the issue is that highly concentrated caffeine looks nothing like the kinds of caffeinated products we're used to seeing. Instead, it can look like water if it's in a liquid form or sugar if it's powdered. "The consequences of a consumer mistakenly confusing one of these products could be toxic or even lethal," the agency stated.

[...] Between 10 and 14 grams of caffeine is considered life-threatening, according to the FDA's guidelines, though people can have an irregular or rapid heart rate and seizures after taking just a gram. The amount of concentrated caffeine that's considered safe at a time—200 milligrams—is very, very small.

Also at Bloomberg.


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  • (Score: 2, Disagree) by The Mighty Buzzard on Tuesday April 17 2018, @12:25PM (9 children)

    The human body has evolved over quite a long time to be able to handle an insane variety of chemical input. If your body is less tolerant of variety than average, Darwin would say it is less fit for survival. That is what I mean.

    --
    My rights don't end where your fear begins.
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  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday April 17 2018, @02:13PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday April 17 2018, @02:13PM (#668080)

    Not the same AC, but I'm also very sensitive to caffeine. I can handle other chemicals, no problem. I'm particularly insensitive to opiates and opiods, don't even get high at high doses let alone have any reduction in pain. I took a gram of heroin and got a light buzz (only time I've ever done, and I don't often do others).

  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday April 17 2018, @02:34PM (1 child)

    by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday April 17 2018, @02:34PM (#668097)

    Wow, now folks we've got a special treat today. Look out your left window and you can see a libertarian applying shitty logic and overly basic principles to complex human biology. Most people are too ashamed to demonstrate their lack of education, but not the free range libertarians!

  • (Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday April 17 2018, @05:57PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday April 17 2018, @05:57PM (#668207)

    The human body has evolved over quite a long time to be able to handle an insane variety of chemical input. If your body is less tolerant of variety than average, Darwin would say it is less fit for survival. That is what I mean.

    I'm not going to try to explain to you the stupidity of your statement. And no, Darwin would never say such a stupid thing, so maybe maybe don't put words in his mouth.

  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday April 17 2018, @06:08PM (4 children)

    by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday April 17 2018, @06:08PM (#668213)

    > If your body is less tolerant of variety than average, Darwin would say it is less fit for survival. That is what I mean.

    I'm the chocolate coffee bean AC.

    My background is very much northern European -- pale skin, red hair. Since coffee is native to tropical and southern Africa and tropical Asia I don't see any reason why my ancestors would have been selected (or not) for sensitivity to caffeine.

    Anyway, I think my sensitivity to caffeine is a good deal, I don't waste time or money on a coffee habit. One box of chocolate coffee beans from Trader Joes might last me a few years. I don't need any stimulation to get going in the morning, wake me up and I'm on, clear headed and all ready to go. In terms of Darwin, this seems like it might be somewhat more useful/successful than a tolerance (or addiction?) to a specific stimulant.

    • (Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Tuesday April 17 2018, @06:36PM (3 children)

      Yes, I personally know vegans who think that getting a splitting headache from someone using beef or chicken broth instead of vegetable broth makes them somehow superior as well. They're what we sane people like to call "morons". If something that most of the world can tolerate at least moderate amounts of fucks you up even in small amounts, that is what we call "inferior fitness" in an omnivore such as humans.

      --
      My rights don't end where your fear begins.
      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday April 17 2018, @08:24PM (2 children)

        by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday April 17 2018, @08:24PM (#668287)

        Don't know why you jumped to vegans and broth?

        I'm the coffee bean AC, from N. America, and since you back-handedly questioned my diet, I'm happy to say that I eat nearly everything. The only thing I turned down in Taiwan was sheep testicle stew. I'll admit that parsnips taste (to me) like dirt, so I don't enjoy them, but that's about it for my "won't eat" list.

        When I drink coffee (rarely) I quit at about a quarter of a normal mug, my system is making very efficient usage of a powerful stimulant. If you really want to call on Darwin...then consider that my brain has evolved sufficiently so that I quickly learned how to adapt to my coffee sensitivity.

        • (Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Tuesday April 17 2018, @08:43PM (1 child)

          Re: vegans, I would have thought the similarities would be obvious.

          Look, you ain't perfect but there's no need to get your panties in a wad over it. That's just life as a human being. Ain't none of us perfect and special little snowflakes. I, for instance, suck donkey balls at artsy stuff and made any number of foolish decisions growing up that I'd change if I could but you don't hear me making excuses about any of it.

          The moral of this story is you're an imperfect hairless ape barely removed from flinging your own shit just like everyone else. Don't put on airs.

          --
          My rights don't end where your fear begins.
          • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday April 18 2018, @03:23AM

            by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday April 18 2018, @03:23AM (#668406)

            > Mine handles around 1000mg every single morning; 1500 if I didn't sleep well and need a bit more of a kick to get going.

            > Don't put on airs.

            'nuff said.