Wrigley Caffeine Gum Sparks FDA Investigation Into Stimulant's Affect On Children

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is looking into the impact that added caffeine has on children following the release of a new gum from Wrigley that features an added amount of the stimulant.

William Wrigley Jr. Company's new product, Alert Energy Caffeine Gum, contains 40 milligrams of caffeine -- an amount equal to about a half-cup of coffee. The company says that the new gum, introduced this month, is marketed to adults ages 25 and over.

While the FDA did not specifically mention the new product in their statement, the agency says that they are looking into caffeine and its possible negative affects on children with a "fresh look," adding that "if necessary, [the FDA] will take appropriate action."

A Wrigley spokeswoman said that the company is open to any FDA recommendations.

"As the FDA refines its approach to caffeine, we welcome the opportunity to work with them on this important topic," she said, Reuters reported.

If the FDA deems a product unsafe following research and inspections, the public health agency has the power to recall, seize or prevent companies from producing the hazardous product.

"The only time the FDA explicitly approved the added use of caffeine in a food was for cola and that was in the 1950s," said Michael Taylor, FDA deputy commissioner for foods and veterinary medicine.

"Today, the environment has changed. Children and adolescents may be exposed to caffeine beyond those foods in which caffeine is naturally found and beyond anything the FDA envisioned when it made the determination regarding caffeine in cola," Taylor said in a statement on the agency's website Monday.