Caféine in food supplements

2,960 supplements declared in France contain Caféine as a substance or active ingredient.

In cosmetics: CAFFEINE.

Other names in the Compl'Alim list: caffeine.

In its opinion on supplements for athletes, ANSES advises against supplements containing caffeine before and during sport, and for people sensitive to its effects.

BfR warns of a high risk of accidental overdose with pure or highly concentrated caffeine powders. Very small amounts can already cause serious harm to health.

Maximum dose in France

Caféine: La quantité présente dans la portion journalière recommandée ne doit pas dépasser 200 mg.

Uses

• Beverages, medicine

• Caffeine is a substance in wide use. It is predominantly used in the food sector and pharma sector (80% and 16% rspectively). A smaller part is used in cosmetics (3%) or in technical applications (1%). Furthermore caffeine is a naturally occurring substance in various plant species (e.g. 0.9 to 2.6% in green coffee beans). It is a component in coffee, tea and cocoa.

• Stimulant for central nervous and respiratory systems; cardiac and respiratory stimulant; diuretic

Use classification

• Cosmetics -> Skin conditioning

• Natural products -> Stimulants -> Nervous System -> Psychoanaleptics -> Psycostimulants, agents used for ADHD and nootropics -> Xanthine derivatives

A molecule found naturally in plants or organisms; in a supplement it may be extracted from them, made by fermentation or synthesised: the declaration does not say which.

Basis: one CosIngThe European Commission's database of cosmetic ingredients. CAS and natural occurrence recorded in Wikidata (LOTUS database).

Natural occurrence recorded in Wikidata (LOTUS database): 72 taxa; examples: Coffea arabica, Coffea canephora, Camellia sinensis, Camellia oleifera, Ilex paraguariensis.

Manufacturing

• Caffeine is isolated by solvent extraction from green coffee beans and tea leaves. The Zosel high-pressure extraction process is a more sophisticated procedure involving supercritical carbon dioxide, resulting in mild, selective, and toxicologically safe decaffeination.

• Caffeine may be isolated from tea or coffee by boiling with water in the presence of lime or magnesium oxide, which serves to precipitate the tannins and some of the coloring matter. After filtration, the crude caffeine that separates in recrystallized from hot water after treatment with decolorizing charcoal. A source of the commercial supply is tea dust or sweepings. Increasing quantities of caffeine are now obtained as a byproduct in the manufacture of "decaffeinized coffee."

• Caffeine occurs naturally in tea and coffee, but is prepared synthetically for commercial drug use.

• Usually obtained from tea dust in which it is present up to 5% or as a by-product from the manufacture of caffeine-free coffee; synthetically prepared starting with dimethylurea and malonic acid.

Appearance

• Hexagonal prisms

• White, fleecy masses or long, flexible, silky crystals

• White, prismatic crystals

• Caffeine appears as odorless white powder or white glistening needles, usually melted together. Bitter taste. Solutions in water are neutral to litmus. Odorless. (NTP, 1992)

Odour described

• Odorless

Taste described

• Bitter taste

Other names: Coffein (German), cafeína (Spanish), caffeina (Italian), cafeína (Portuguese).

Health claims register (European Union): 0 authorised and 6 refused claim(s) for this substance.

Compl'Alim ingredient list (France): listed.

Canada, licensed natural health products (LNHPD): 35 products.

United States, supplement labels (DSLD; supplements need no prior approval): 1991 products.

United States, supplements listed by the USDA: 50 products.

Official reference: intake considered safe 400 mg per day (healthy adults, excluding pregnancy; all sources combined), EFSAEuropean Food Safety Authority. 2015.

Official reference: intake considered safe 200 mg per day (pregnant women; all sources combined), EFSA 2015.

Official reference: intake considered safe 200 mg per day (lactating women; all sources combined), EFSA 2015.

Official warnings (Health Canada)

CAFFEINE

Route of administration: Oral (Higdon and Frei 2006)

Cautions and warnings

Products providing 100 mg to 400 mg caffeine, per day1

Ask a health care practitioner/health care provider/health care professional/doctor/physician before use if you have high blood pressure or glaucoma (Cornelis and El-Sohemy 2007, Chandrasekaran et al. 2005, Noordzij et al. 2005, Avisar et al. 2002, Arya et al. 2000, Jee et al. 1999, Creighton and Stanton 1990).

1Note: This statement is also required at subtherapeutic quantities for products providing 40 mg or more caffeine per day from all sources for Class II and III applications.

Products providing more than 300 mg caffeine, per day

Ask a health care practitioner/health care provider/health care professional/doctor/physician before use if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or attempting to conceive (Nawrot et al. 2003).

Products providing 400 mg or more caffeine, per day

When using this product avoid taking other health products, foods or beverages that contain caffeine and/or increase blood pressure (FDA 2023; Bui et al. 2006; Bouchard et al. 2005; Haller et al. 2005; NIH 2004; Berardi et al. 2002; Vahedi et al. 2000; Zimmerman 1992).

Contraindications

Products providing more than 400 mg caffeine per day

Do not use if you have high blood pressure or glaucoma (Cornelis and El-Sohemy 2007, Chandrasekaran et al. 2005, Noordzij et al. 2005, Avisar et al. 2002, Arya et al. 2000, Jee et al. 1999, Creighton and Stanton 1990).

Known adverse reactions

All products

Stop use and ask a health care practitioner/health care provider/health care professional/doctor/physician if hypersensitivity/allergy occurs (Infante et al. 2003; Hinrichs et al. 2002).

Products providing 200 mg or more caffeine, per day

Stop use and ask a health care practitioner/health care provider/health care professional/doctor/physician if symptoms such as chest pain and irregular heartbeat occur (Higgins and Babu 2013).

Products providing more than 400 mg caffeine, per day

Stop use and ask a health care practitioner/health care provider/health care professional/doctor/physician if nervousness, anxiety, insomnia, tremor and/or headache occur (IOM 2001, Zhang 2001, Sawynok 1995).

All products except those making a diuretic claim1

When using this product diuretic effect may occur.

1Note: This statement is also required at subtherapeutic quantities for products providing 40 mg or more caffeine per day from all sources for Class II and III applications.

Health Canada monograph dated 19 December 2025