Would you inhale your coffee?

Lianzi Fields
Monday, February 20, 2012
Thinkstock
Coffee hit without the calories

Now you can get the coffee hit without the coffee, with just one puff of inhalable caffeine powder from a lipstick-sized canister.

It's called an 'AeroShot', and it's already sold in France, but only recently went onto supermarket shelves in the US late last month, and is already being met with concerns, reports the Associated Press.

Each canister contains 100 milligrams of powdered caffeine (equivalent to the amount in a large cup of coffee) plus B vitamins.

Caffeine lovers simply put the canister in their mouth and inhale the powder which instantaneously dissolves.

Fore those watching their calorie intake from milky and sugary beverages, the AeroShot could be the no-cal energy boost they've been looking for, the manufacturers claim, but exactly how safe is the product?

Inventor of the AeroShot, Harvard biomedical engineering professor, David Edwards, swears by its safety. He says that it does not contain the common additives and taurine, intended to enhance the effect of caffeine, that is present in many energy drinks currently sold on the market.

The product has so far escaped scrutiny by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), due to its listing as a "dietary supplement", which is readily available for just US $2.99 at convenience stores, liquor shops, and online.

But the FDA are expected to shortly announce plans to review the AeroShot, following concerns raised by New York's US Senator Charles Schumer in a meeting with the FDA Commissioner, Dr Margaret Hamburg.

"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," said Schumer.

The FDA review will examine the product's safety in compliance with the Administration's regulations, as well as the legalities and appropriateness of labelling the product as a dietary supplement.

Tom Hadfield, the CEO of AeroShot's manufacturer, Breathable Foods, has stated the company's intention to fully cooperate with the review, while also stressing that the product is not marketed to children, nor recommended for those under 18.

On the website, the manufacturer states: "When used in accordance with its label, AeroShot provides a safe shot of caffeine and B vitamins for ingestion.

"Caffeine has been proven to offer a variety of potential benefits for health to individuals when consumed in moderation, from providing energy to enhancing attention and focus."

The label on AeroShot further warns buyers not to consume any more than three a day.

Edwards says he came up with the idea of AeroShot after a conversation he had with French celebrity chef, Thierry Marks, in 2007.

Edwards' first venture was a breathable chocolate he invented with Harvard Students called "Le Whif". He currently has plans in the works to promote a new product that involves turning food and drinks into low-calorie clouds of flavour, which he has named 'Le Whaf'.

Would you try the product?

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