Health Canada greenlights beverage companies to add caffeine

Ottawa - Health Canada has changed its regulations to allow soft drink companies to use caffeine in small concentrations as a food additive in non-cola drinks.

In a surprise press release late Friday afternoon, Health Canada stated:

"Synthetic caffeine is fine if it is added to soft drinks in concentrations less than 150 parts per million(ppm).

The authorized concentration for non- cola beverages is lower than the maximum 220 ppm authorized under The Food and Drug Regulations for cola beverages.

Perhaps even more surprisingly the Agency which is a watchdog for health in Canada has allowed beverage companies to begin selling products with the new caffeine additives while the regulatory changes are being employed into policy. The Canadian Center For Addiction and Mental Health considers caffeine as a stimulant and the world's most popular drug. Studies have varied over the years about the health benefits and pitfalls of caffeine on the human body. Research has found that it can be helpful to adults with diabetes 2 to ingest up to three cups of coffee a day. Other studies have shown that caffeine can have negative results for children and teenagers ingesting large amounts of the drug through "energy drinks" like Red Bull and specialty coffee drinks like Starbucks. Health Canada has also stated in the same release that caffeine amounts must be clearly stated on all new soft drinks containing the drug.