In fact, you put your finger on the main element related to the inappropriate use of certain food products containing caffeine. The key element consists in informing consumers, especially parents, so that they can opt for caffeine-free products.
In its new Food Guide, Health Canada provides a consumption indicator suggesting that carbonated drinks not be the general population's, and especially children's, beverages of choice. It is recommended that Canadians instead opt for water and other beverages, especially those containing protein. Milk and juices are also recommended as beverages of choice.
So, we will continue to educate consumers, whether they be adults or children, about monitoring their daily caffeine intake from all food sources. It is not about focusing on one particular food category, but rather about dealing with the daily caffeine intake issue as a whole. So, we would not only focus on products where caffeine is used as a flavouring agent, extracted from guarana and other sources, but also on caffeine in its natural form, as it is found in coffee, tea, and even chocolate, or in other products that may contain caffeine.
We have already issued—I believe you have already received some documents published by Health Canada over the last few years—a document informing Canadian consumers about caffeine sources. This document provides information on the amounts of caffeine in products where caffeine is naturally occurring, indicates the daily maximum caffeine intake—400 mg for adults—and indicates which groups of individuals could be more sensitive, or more at risk from caffeine consumption, namely pregnant women, women of childbearing age and children.
Labelling is another way of providing this information, especially when it comes to letting consumers know if and how much caffeine a product contains. Labelling is already mandatory for products where caffeine is used as a food additive, and we want to go beyond the food labeling requirements. It is for this reason that, when Health Canada authorized expanding caffeine use to other carbonated drinks, we recommended quantitative labelling for caffeine in those beverages.