The Sneaky Reason Why Caffeine Is So Hard to Find on Nutrition Labels

It’s clear that there’s caffeine in the most popular energy drink products. But finding out how much caffeine is harder than just glancing at the label. Plus, there are even some alternative products that are seemingly decaffeinated at first glance, but actually do contain a decent amount of caffeine.

If you’re asking yourself, “Why is it so hard to find caffeine on the nutrition label?” you have come to the right place. With the help of our senior nutrition editor Maria Laura Haddad-Garcia, we’re answering all of your questions. Here’s the breakdown of what to know before your next grocery run.

Why Isn’t the Amount of Caffeine Shown on the Label?

You will be able to find caffeine listed as an ingredient in your favorite energy drinks, but why can’t you figure out exactly how much it contains? 

“While the FDA requires manufacturers to include added caffeine on the ingredient lists of their products, it doesn’t require them to disclose the total amount of caffeine, which is why it’s so hard to find out the exact amount of caffeine in a food or beverage,” Haddad-Garcia explains. “That said, they don’t need to disclose caffeine that comes from naturally occurring sources, such as coffee or tea.”

For reference, an 8-ounce cup of black coffee contains roughly 95 milligrams of caffeine. But if you’re grabbing a bottled or canned coffee beverage or snacking on chocolate-covered espresso beans, it’s going to be especially challenging to know how much caffeine is in a serving of these products. 

“Additionally, there isn’t a specific limited amount of caffeine for conventional foods unless it’s a cola-type beverage,” Haddad-Garcia says, noting that the limit on caffeinated sodas is about 70 milligrams of caffeine in a 12-ounce container for it to be marked as safe.

Where to Find the Amount of Caffeine in a Product

With all of this in mind, there are ways to figure out how much caffeine is in your food or drink, but it can be tedious. Here is what Haddad-Garcia recommends.

“Because manufacturers aren’t obligated to include the amount of caffeine in a food or beverage, it can be pretty tricky to tell if your drink has caffeine in it,” she restates. “Your best bet is to do some research before buying a new product or look into databases such as the USDA FoodData Central to see if they provide an estimate of the amount of caffeine in that product.” 

By using the USDA FoodData Central database, you can search specific brands and products for detailed nutritional information, including caffeine amount. If you’re still having trouble finding this information for a food or drink that you’re researching, we suggest looking for the nutrition on that brand’s website.

The Bottom Line

Caffeine count not being widely listed on energy drink products can be misleading and concerning, especially for drinks marketed toward children. Be mindful that a lot of these flashy cans may have up to 200 milligrams of caffeine per serving, and it’s only safe for kids ages 12 to 18 to not exceed 100 milligrams of caffeine a day. And children under the age of 12 should not be consuming caffeine at all. For adults, it varies: pregnant people should not exceed 200 milligrams of caffeine, but the average person can consume up to 400 milligrams of caffeine in a healthy eating pattern, per the FDA’s recommendations. Talk to your health care provider if you’re unsure about how much caffeine is too much for your lifestyle.