Caffeine Jolt From Soap, Elsewhere May Pose Hazard

Coffee drinkers typically know their limits when it comes to caffeine. But with companies shoveling the drug into the most unlikely places—oatmeal, jelly beans, soap—things may be getting dangerous, writes John Cloud in Time. Public-health experts fear some may add, say, NRG potato chips to already-caffeinated lifestyles, upping the risk of caffeine intoxication; what’s worse, new products often don’t state how much caffeine they contain.

And these products can pack a wallop: A packet of Sumseeds sunflower seeds contains 16% more caffeine than a cup of coffee, while lathering up with Shower Shock soap delivers the equivalent of two cups. Health experts are pressuring the feds to tighten labeling rules, but no action has been taken thus far. Experts advise keeping potential temptations like caffeinated jelly beans away from kids.
(More caffeine stories.)