Caffeine content differs across establishments

Paul Smithson

01/12/2011 09:39:47

Researchers have found that different coffee shops use varying quantities of caffeine in their products, making the moderation of caffeine intake difficult for consumers.

BBC News reported on a study carried out by academics from the University of Glasgow, who tested the drinks from a number of popular retailers and noted that the caffeine content was not shown to customers.

Alan Crozier, a senior research fellow at the faculty of medicine, confirmed: “If you go to different coffee houses you can tell that some are much stronger than others. The problem comes with people who should have a limited caffeine intake.”

He pointed out that pregnant women in particular are affected by this issue, but that they can healthily have one shot of espresso coffee. However, in order to stick by Food Standards Agency guidelines, expectant mothers must consume no more than 200mg of caffeine in a day.

While some places tested by the Glasgow researchers had 50mg of caffeine in an espresso, others had up to 300mg in them. This may prompt more mothers-to-be to invest in a coffee machine for their home, in a bid to control their intake.

Dr Euan Paul, a representative from the British Coffee Association, told The Telegraph that the average person can have between 400mg and 500mg of the substance without worrying about their health.  In fact, Dr Paul suggested there may be some health benefits from regular consumption of a moderate amount of caffeine.