CAFFEINATED GUM OFFERS COFFEE ALTERNATIVE

NEW YORK, Jun 23 (Reuters) -- Sleepy Americans will soon be able to get a
caffeine jolt from a new source: a stick of "Stay Alert" caffeinated chewing
gum.

However, one nutrition expert has concerns about adult users taking in too
much caffeine, and the gum being used by children.

The gum was developed by Amurol Confections, a subsidiary of the Wm. Wrigley
Jr. Company, and is being introduced this week at the All Candy Expo in
Chicago, Illinois.

"Stay Alert is an easier and more convenient delivery system for caffeine
seekers than a hot cup of coffee or a cold soft drink," said Janet Sweeney,
corporate category manager for Stay Alert.

According to a company statement, each stick of Stay Alert gum contains
about 50 milligrams of caffeine, "similar to a 12-ounce can of a caffeinated
soft drink or a small cup of coffee."

Sweeney said that the gum, which comes in either mint or cinnamon flavors,
has an advantage over traditional caffeine sources because "the caffeine can
be absorbed through the oral membrane rather than going through the
digestive system, as all other caffeine alternatives would require."

According to a company statement, there are 36.2 million US consumers who
"are identified as both caffeine seekers and gum chewers" and are expected
to welcome the gum. These include long-distance truck drivers, shift
workers, college students, and office workers "involved in late afternoon
meetings or other late-day activities when mental alertness may drop."

But Dr. Chris Rosenbloom, an expert nutritionist and spokesperson for the
American Dietetic Association, worries that some Stay Alert users might
overindulge. "If you ate the whole pack of gum, you could get an additional
250 milligrams of caffeine a day," Rosenbloom told Reuters Health. "A
moderate (daily) dose is considered 200-300 milligrams. So we don't want
people to get much above that."

Sweeney agrees, but believes that "most people don't eat a whole pack of gum
(per day). The serving size that we recommend is two sticks, and that's
within FDA (Food and Drug Administration) specifications." Both she and
Rosenbloom agree that any caffeinated substance, including Stay Alert,
should not be consumed by those with high blood pressure, or by pregnant or
breastfeeding women.

But Rosenbloom is most concerned about the consumption of Stay Alert by
children. "Kids tend to eat not just one stick of gum," she says. "Most kids
I know put the whole pack of gum in their mouth at once. So kids could
really get a whopping dose. I think parents need to remember that caffeine
is a drug, and treat this as a drug, and keep it away from kids."

Sweeney told Reuters Health that Stay Alert's somewhat bitter taste should
make it unpopular among children. "I can't imagine that kids would want to
put a whole pack of this gum into their mouths," she said, noting that the
gum has "an acquired taste, much like a black cup of coffee. And kids don't
really like those kinds of flavors."

The gum has received marketing approval from the US Food and Drug
Administration. Amurol hopes to have Stay Alert on the nation's pharmacy and
grocery store shelves by late August.

Copyright 1998 Reuters Limited.

Checked-by: Melodi Cornett