Powdered Caffeine

[yogi]

I don't know why it should be, but the news that pure caffeine can be purchased in it's powdered form was a surprise to me. I was not surprised to read that too much caffeine can kill you, literally. Apparently the Food and Drug Administration thinks the sale of pure caffeine should be banned and they sent out letters to the five major manufacturers of the stuff stating their case. Of course, the FDA could close them down if manufacturers didn't voluntarily comply, but there are arguments against banning the sale of this powder. An overdose of anything will kill you, for example.

An investigative reporter got wind of the FDA letter and went on line to see how easy it was to get a bag of caffeine. A 500g bag of the powder goes for around $30 USD -- that's somewhere between 2500 and 5000 cups of coffee worth. There are warnings on the bag regarding a safe dose which ranges between 1/64 and 1/16 of a teaspoon. It takes a scale that can measure milligrams to be that accurate and such scales are not commonly available. Yet the powder is. And thus the concern by the FDA.

OK, I can see the need to raise red flags here, but why are people buying powdered caffeine in the first place? Does anyone REALLY need a straight dose of synthetic caffeine to get through the day? There are claims for the benefits of this drug, including it's being the enabling factor for the Industrial Revolution, but do we really need it in its pure form? Here is a case where I think Big Brother (the FDA in this case) is actually looking out for our best interests.

http://www.techinsider.io/buying-pure-c ... z3kad6KWUJ

[Icey]

I heartily agree with you Yogi. The thing about the synthetic caffeine is that it's not just easy to kill people who overdose with it, but for those who prefer de-caf drinks, it gets even worse, since the majority of people don't come into contact with huge bags of the stuff but they're getting it in decaffeinated tea and coffee without realising the fact.

The synthetic stuff comes into contact with methylene chloride and ethyl acetate during manufacture. Both are tough solvents, used in paint remover, glue, plastics solvents and a host of other things. Labs make this synthetic caffeine with petroleum-derived molecular building blocks, so anyone thinking of drinking the stuff's being slowly poisoned or doing irreversible harm. In this instance, the FDA really IS looking out for people.

[pilvikki]

it sure seems they're taking an awful long time getting the message across...

meanwhile, somewhere:

"honey, I made your favourite; mochalattefrappeflipperyflopovery cuppa. just for you dear..."

[Icey]

You can keep all of those. I just like an ordinary white coffee that's not been decaffeinated, frothed up or had anything added to it (that we know of!). : )

[pilvikki]

mine's espresso nowadays. these people don't seem equipped to build anything beyond that.

[Icey]

LOL!!

Well I suppose expresso's LOOK more attractive ... if they're poured into a clear cup/mug, but they use finer grinds than ordinary coffee, and I like mine quite strong - with cold milk added.

[yogi]

The finer grinds make stronger coffee because more surface area of the bean is exposed for extraction of oils (flavor). That's exactly why espresso (and Turkish coffee) is served in tiny cups. It's highly concentrated flavor.

[Icey]

Yes, I agree with that Yogi, they do, but I think I expressed myself wrongly (again). I meant BUT with cold milk added, as opposed to steaming and frothing it; just an ordinary cup of coffee does for me.