State may eye safety of caffeine in drinks

Need a quick pick-me-up? Before seeking a boost from caffeine, consider that California officials who manage a list of possibly harmful substances today will ask whether caffeine should be considered.

The Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment's Developmental and Reproductive Toxicant Identification Committee will review eight chemicals and decide which need further study for possible listing on the state's Proposition 65 list.

Under that law, the governor is required to publish each year a list of chemicals known to cause cancer or reproductive harm.

The public must then be informed of the listing, through posting and product labels.

But at its hearing, the state may face a tough question about caffeine: Natural sources of caffeine such as coffee or tea won't have to be labeled. But since that is how most caffeine is consumed, will it be enough to put warning labels on soft drinks, high-energy potions and other products that add high doses of caffeine?

Chemicals up for review today were singled out based on their potential reproductive toxicity and cancer risk, and because many Californians are exposed to them, said OEHHA spokesman Sam Delson. If the review committee selects a chemical from today's list, it would then gather "hazardous identification materials" and launch a more in-depth examination of all available research.

In adding caffeine to today's priority list, OEHHA's review committee examined dozens of studies from the last 10 years and found a majority linked caffeine to reproductive problems such as miscarriages, reduced birth weight and decreased fertility.

The American Beverage Association maintains that moderate intake of caffeine is safe. In a statement, the industry trade group said the March of Dimes "notes that most experts consider daily consumption of two cups of brewed coffee, or seven cans of the average soft drink, safe during pregnancy."

The March of Dimes notes on its Web site that the safety of larger amounts of caffeine is "controversial."

Caffeine's consideration for the Proposition 65 list is not alarming to Liz Applegate, a nutrition expert at University of California, Davis. She said caffeine has been studied for years and is generally considered safe at levels below 200 milligrams a day.

At higher levels, caffeine is associated with reduced birth weight, miscarriages and decreased fertility, Applegate said.

"It should be used in moderation, and there are risk groups out there," she said, noting that pregnant women, people with high blood pressure and irregular heartbeats and children should consult a physician about caffeine intake.

Caroline Cox with the Center for Environmental Health said this is the first time chemicals are being possibly added to Proposition 65 through a new prioritization process.

"The problem is more chemicals should be listed than (the state) has staff to evaluate," Cox said. "That's why they put in place a prioritization process and came up with the eight chemicals they think are important enough to go to the top of the list."

OEHHA considered hundreds of chemicals before whittling the list to eight. At the public forum, it will recommend which warrant further study. The agency will then release information for public comment and will hold another public meeting before listing a chemical.

"Any listing decision is at least a year away," Delson said.

In addition to caffeine, the committee today will review several pesticides and industrial chemicals.

One of the more controversial chemicals being considered is Bisphenol A, widely used in plastic products.

"Bisphenol A is an endocrine-disrupting chemical that behaves like estradiol, one of the most powerful known hormones," said Frederick vom Saal, who studies hormone-mimicking compounds at University of Missouri, Columbia.

The widely used chemical goes into polycarbonate plastics and the epoxy resins that line metal cans, and can be found in numerous household products, including baby bottles.

A recent study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention detected the chemical in 93 percent of people sampled.

The chemical industry has repeatedly said levels of Bisphenol A in the general population are safe.

"It has been reviewed recently, and that review provides no basis that (Bisphenol A) should be listed under Proposition 65," said Stephen Hentges of the American Chemistry Council.

Representatives of the chemical and beverage industries plan to attend today's meeting to argue that their uses of caffeine and Bisphenol A are safe.

With caffeine, the dispute appears to be about the dose: Applegate said some new products now being marketed pack a hefty caffeine punch.

"Energy drinks are supercharged with caffeine. If you had three to four cans a day, it's like someone who goes through a whole pot of coffee," Applegate said.

Because it could be included in many not-so-obvious sources, such as over the counter drugs, Applegate said better labeling is needed so consumers can track how much caffeine they are ingesting.

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