May 8 (Reuters) – Wrigley temporarily halted production of
its new Alert Energy Caffeine Gum in response to concerns
expressed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration over the
impact of caffeine on children and adolescents.
The company said it had paused the production, sale and
marketing of Alert to give the FDA time to develop a new
regulatory framework for the addition of caffeine to food and
drinks.
The recently launched gum has about 40 milligrams of
caffeine, as much as a half a cup of coffee, in each piece.
“After discussions with the FDA, we have a greater
appreciation for its concern about the proliferation of caffeine
in the nation’s food supply,” Wrigley North America President
Casey Keller said in a statement.
Keller said there was a need for change in the regulatory
framework to “better guide” consumers and the industry about the
appropriate use of caffeinated products.
The company previously said it marketed the gum as an energy
product for adults aged 25 and older, and that it exceeded
current regulatory requirements on labeling.
The FDA said last month that it was taking a “fresh look” at
the issue in response to the launch of a caffeinated gum, and
warned that it would take action “if necessary”.
The FDA did not name Wrigley, owned by privately held Mars
Inc, or the gum in its statement.
Wrigley is not the first company to market gum with
energizing properties. Mondelez International Inc sells
a line of gums with ingredients like ginseng, green tea and
Vitamin C. Stride Spark sells gum that have Vitamins B6 and B12
added.
(Reporting by Sakthi Prasad in Bangalore and Martinne Geller in
New York; Editing by Stephen Coates)
