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Cracker Jack'd, Cracker Jacks On Caffeine, Are Coming
By
Garth Johnston
Published Nov 16, 2012
Modified Nov 16, 2012
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By
Garth Johnston
Published Nov 16, 2012
Modified Nov 16, 2012
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As one childhood favorite snack possibly goes away another one is getting a serious boost. Are you ready for the next level of Cracker Jacks? Because caffeinated Cracker Jack'D snacks are coming. Soon. Though at least one health advocacy group is trying to stop the madness before it begins.
"Boxes of Cracker Jack are famous for having a toy surprise inside. But what parent suspects that Cracker Jack might come with a surprising dose of a mildly addictive stimulant drug?" the Center for Science in the Public Interest said in a statement earlier this week. "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's executive director went on to say, before asking, "How soon before we have caffeinated burgers, burritos, or breakfast cereals?"
For its part, Frito-Lay, which makes Cracker Jacks and is still finalizing the formulas for its Cracker Jack'd flavors has told Ad Age that only two of the new brand's products will be caffeinated and they'll be jacked up thanks to "coffee, a natural source of caffeine, as an ingredient." Further, a rep told AdAge that they "stand by the safety of all products in the Cracker Jack'd line, including those that contain coffee. It is worth pointing out the regulation referenced in CSPI's letter to FDA speaks to caffeine—not coffee." Riiiiggghhht.
"Cracker Jack'd Power Bites," the boosted version of that age old snack, are currently expected to "contain approximately 70 mg of caffeine from coffee in each 2 oz. package," when they hit the market. Personally we can't wait. This is going to make singing "Take Me Out To The Ball Game" so much more buzzier.
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Garth Johnston
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