Industry slams caffeine study

Scientists in Australia found that consumers were unable to tell whether caffeine had been added to a cola drink or not, suggesting that caffeine was used to modify consumer behaviour rather than enhance flavour.

They called for a ban on the marketing of caffeinated soft drinks to children since high levels of consumption were linked to childhood and teenage obesity.

Manufacturers added caffeine, said the researchers, because its bitter taste counteracted the sweetness of the drinks. However, during tests, participants were able to tell the difference between caffeinated and non-caffeinated sweeteners, but not between caffeinated and non-caffeinated drinks. In the study, a fixed concentration of caffeine, similar to that found in a cola drink, was added to a non-caffeinated cola and to sweeteners.

The British Soft Drinks Association (BSDA) said the study was simplistic and did not take into account the complex formulations of a soft drink. "You cannot read across from this laboratory experiment to the actual issues involved in creating recipes," said Richard Laming, public affairs manager at the BSDA.

"Caffeine in soft drinks is a useful flavouring, bringing a distinctive bitter note and interacting with other flavours. It serves no function other than that," said Laming, and he questioned evidence that caffeine was addictive, referring to a study published in The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse in 2006 that claimed it did not meet the common sense nor the scientific definition of an addictive substance. (See article, p16)

• Children who drink a can of sugary drinks a day are likely to be a stone heavier than those who consume unsweetened versions, according to a new study.

The study from ReportBuyer.com said that, to maintain market value, the industry must replace "liquid candy" with diet, probiotic, and fruit and veg drinks.

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