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Caffeine

LONG-TERM OBJECTIVE

The Working Group on Caffeine examines health and safety issues related to caffeine consumption and serves as a resource for reliable science on caffeine.

CURRENT ACTIVITIES AND EVENTS

Questions regarding the relationship between caffeine consumption and human reproduction and development continue to be of interest to scientists, public health officials, and those assessing risks to human health. Building on 30 years of study regarding caffeine and its possible involvement in a variety of health outcomes, the ILSI North America Caffeine Working Group once again took the lead in updating scientific reviews of relevant articles published during the past 10 years. The review article “A Review of Epidemiologic Evidence Concerning the Reproductive Health Effects of Caffeine Consumption: A 2000–2009 Update” by Peck et al (Food and Chemical Toxicology, 2010) summarizes the most current scientific information contributing significantly to understanding the effects of caffeine consumption on reproductive and developmental health. The review article “Evaluation of the Reproductive and Developmental Risks of Caffeine” by Brent et al (Birth Defects Research Part B, 2011) presents a risk analysis of in utero caffeine exposure utilizing epidemiological studies and animal studies dealing with congenital malformation, pregnancy loss, and weight reduction.

With caffeine consumption occurring naturally through various beverages and the growing shift in trends to “energy-drink” consumption, caffeine consumption patterns across age groups and gender have vastly changed and continue to receive widespread scientific attention and media scrutiny. The ILSI North America Caffeine Working Group will facilitate a comprehensive update and re-evaluation of caffeine intake data in the United States and publish the results in a peer-reviewed journal. Caffeine intake data have not been updated in over 10 years and therefore do not reflect newly introduced caffeinated products and trends; the committee will utilize beverage data from a 7-day diet record, the most comprehensive to date, and prepare a peer-reviewed manuscript of the comprehensive research and updates.

PUBLICATIONS

WORKING GROUP MEMBERS

The Coca-Cola Company
Kraft Foods, Inc.
PepsiCo, Inc.
Red Bull GmbH
Unilever

Support also provided by The J.M. Smucker Company

STAFF CONTACT

Alison Kretser, MS, RD
Senior Science Program Manager
ILSI North America
1156 15th Street, NW
Suite 200
Washington, DC 20005
Tel: 202.659.0074
Fax: 202.659.3859
akretser@ilsi.org

Download the Working Group on Caffeine fact sheet here.