Consumer groups and some lawmakers are pushing FDA to regulate the sale of powdered caffeine, following concerns that overdoses of the substance led to at least two deaths last year. In December 2014, the Center for Science in the Public Interest petitioned the FDA for a outright ban on the retail distribution of pure and highly concentrated caffeine as a dietary supplement. The petition argues these substances pose a "significant or unreasonable risk of illness or injury." A group of Democratic senators has called for similar action by the agency. FDA addressed the recent fatalities in a blog post last month and published a consumer advisory warning highlighting the serious risks of using pure caffeine products. The agency already regulates caffeine in coffee and other food products, and in 2009, FDA reminded several manufacturers that the addition of caffeine to alcoholic beverages has not been generally recognized as safe ("GRAS"). Currently, there are no formal rules regarding the sale of caffeine in its pure form.
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