On Tuesday, the Food and Drug Administration said it has sent warning letters to five producers of pure powdered caffeine. The letters consumer advocates mentioned that it was a long overdue move against the product and its maker.

The product is often added into beverages. The agency pointed out that the product is ‘potentially dangerous’ and presents a ‘significant or unreasonable risk of illness or injury’. The products are very strong and thus safe amounts of pure caffeine are present in small amounts due to which it becomes very difficult to measure.

The agency said kitchen measuring tools, including teaspoons are not specific enough due to the variations in how tightly the powder is packed.

On the website, the agency said, “The difference between a safe amount and a toxic dose of caffeine in these pure powdered products is very small”. It added that to identify a safe amount of pure caffeine, a precise scale is required. High intake of caffeine can result into rapid or dangerously erratic heartbeat, seizures and even death.

The Center for Science in the Public Interest is among the consumer advocacy groups that have petitioned the FDA to ban the sale of pure caffeine. It has applauded the agency’s move but as the same time said it is hoping that the move was a first step toward a ban ‘and not a substitute for one’.