Coca-Cola to add caffeine content to nutrition labels

Coca-Cola has announced plans to begin disclosing caffeine content on their nutrition labels as part of an industry-wide initiative.

The Atlanta-based company says it will add caffeine content to its Coca-Cola Classic nutrition labels in May, with other products to follow. Some of the company's product labels, including Full Throttle and Enviga, already carry information on caffeine levels.

The rollout is currently limited to the U.S. Stephanie Baxter, a Coca-Cola Canada spokeswoman, says the company isreviewing the decision in the U.S. She notes that the company's energy drinks in Canada are already labelled with caffeine content information.

Pepsi launches 'invigorating' diet drink

Meanwhile, PepsiCo has announced plans to release a new version of Diet Pepsi, containing more caffeine. The soda, which will contain about one-third more caffeine than Diet Mountain Dew, will be released in June.

The company says its "invigorating" beverage is targeted to adults who need extra energy to get through their busy days.

The announcements come as New York City councilman, Simcha Felder, prepares to introduce a non-binding council resolution asking the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to require product labels to include caffeine content information.

Felder, a Brooklyn Democrat, suggests pregnant women and parents in particularwould benefit from the proposed resolution, saying many consumers are currently unaware of how much they consume daily. Felder plans on introducing the resolution on Feb. 28.

Caffeine side effects include alertness, irritability

Health Canada says minor side effects of caffeine range from alertness and improved concentration to insomnia, headaches, irritability and nervousness. The federal agencyrecommends that healthy adults should consume a maximum of 450 mg of caffeine daily, the equivalent of three 237 ml cups of brewed coffee.

Pregnant womencan drink slightly more than two 237 ml cups of coffee daily if they avoid other caffeinated products.

Guidelines for children are as follows:

• Ages 4-6, 45 mg.
• Ages 7-9, 62.5 mg.
• Ages 10-12, 85 mg.

For women of childbearing age, the new recommendation is a maximum daily caffeine intake of no more than 300 mg, or a little more than two237 ml cups of coffee.