US body to review inhalable caffeine, branding as 'dietary supplement'

AeroShot went on the market late last month in Massachusetts and New York, and it's also available in France. Consumers put one end of the grey-and-yellow plastic canister in their mouths and breathe in, releasing a fine powder that dissolves almost instantly.

AeroShot inventor, Harvard biomedical engineering professor David Edwards, says the product is safe and doesn't contain taurine and other common additives used to enhance the caffeine effect in energy drinks.

AeroShot didn't require FDA review before hitting the U.S. market because it's sold as a dietary supplement. But New York's U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer said he met with FDA Commissioner Dr. Margaret Hamburg and she agreed to review the safety and legality of AeroShot.

“I am worried about how a product like this impacts kids and teens, who are particularly vulnerable to overusing a product that allows one to take hit after hit after hit, in rapid succession,” Schumer said.

He planned to announce the AeroShot review on Sunday.

Tom Hadfield, chief executive of Breathable Foods, which makes AeroShot in France, said in a statement that the company will cooperate fully with the FDA's review to address the issues raised by Schumer and are confident it will conclude that AeroShot is a safe, effective product that complies with FDA regulations.

The company said that when used according to its label, AeroShot provides a safe amount of caffeine and B vitamins and does not contain common additives used to enhance the effect of caffeine in energy drinks.

It said each AeroShot contains B vitamins and 100 milligrams of caffeine, about the equivalent of the caffeine in a large cup of coffee, and that AeroShot is not recommended for those under 18 and is not marketed to children.

Meanwhile, an FDA official who was at the meeting confirmed the decision, telling The Associated Press that the review will include a study of the law to determine whether AeroShot qualifies as a dietary supplement. The product will also be tested to figure out whether it's safe for consumption, the official said.

The official spoke on the condition of anonymity because that official was not authorized to discuss the matter.

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