[LINK] "Health Canada OKs addition of caffeine for pop"

[rfmcdonald]

Is it wrong for me to be pleased by this news? I've always longed for easy access to American-style Mountain Dew since I first tasted it in 2002.

Non-cola soft drinks could soon be spiked with an eye-opening ingredient -- the caffeine that's already added to colas.

Health Canada announced Friday it is authorizing the use of caffeine as a food additive in all carbonated soft drinks, not just cola-type beverages.

Beverage companies will be allowed to add synthetic caffeine to non-cola soft drinks in concentrations no higher than 150 parts per million. The maximum amount of caffeine allowed in colas is 200 parts per million.

Similar levels of caffeine are currently allowed in non-cola soft drinks outside Canada, including the United States and Europe.

Health Canada said an extensive scientific review determined that 150 parts per million poses no health risk as long as consumers don't exceed the recommended maximum daily intake of caffeine.