Twinkies may be no more, but a new sweet snack made by the Cracker Jack Company may help fill the empty slot on grocery store shelves.
Frito-Lay, the company that makes Cracker Jacks, introduced Cracker Jack'D Power Bites this morning.
The new snack has taken the traditional candy-coated popcorn and injected it with a healthy dose of caffeine in the form of coffee.
Two flavors, vanilla mocha and cocoa java, will be packed with 70 mg of caffeine, which is equal to a 1-ounce shot of espresso or two 12-ounce cans of cola, says ABCNews.
Sounds fun!
Unfortunately, not everyone is amped about the java-coated bites. In light of health issues associated with caffeine-pumped products (both Monster Energy and 5-Hour-Energy drinks have recently been cited in deaths linked to their caffeine content), the Center For Science in the Public Interest wrote a letter to the Food and Drug Administration urging the organization to crack down on caffeinated food and drinks.
"The way things are going, I fear that we'll see caffeine, or coffee, being added to ever-more improbable drinks and snacks, putting children, unsuspecting pregnant women, and others at risk," CSPI executive director Michael F. Jacobson said in statement.
The organization is largely concerned that because Cracker Jacks is historically a "kid-friendly food," the new snack will be appealing to children, who are more susceptible to the effects of caffeine.
According to myhealthnewsdaily, "moderate doses of caffeine, between 200 to 300 mg, aren't harmful for healthy adults, whereas heavy daily use, of more than 500 mg, can cause insomnia, fast heartbeat and muscle tremors."
Frito-Lay ensures consumers that Cracker Jack'D will be targeted toward adults.
Frito-Lay, a division of PepsiCo. Inc., said the company's new coffee toffee will be marketed to adults exclusively, with the presence of both coffee and caffeine clearly called out on both the front and back of the package, and the brand's iconic boy-and-dog logo featured against a black background to avoid any confusion with their kid's lines.
Here's the new Cracker Jack line. Some other interesting flavors, including Spicy Pizzeria and Cheddar BBQ, do not contain caffeine. The product will enter supermarkets later this year.
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