P1056 - Caffeine Review

Published

On 10 March 2026, the FSANZ Board approved Proposal P1056 to amend the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code (the Code) to introduce new requirements for the retail sale of caffeine and guarana extract as a food, and for adding caffeine to food for retail sale.

Australian food ministers have 60 days to consider FSANZ's decision. If no review is requested, the changes will be gazetted and take effect. Food businesses will have 2 years from the date of gazettal to implement the changes.

The changes respond to public health and safety concerns about excessive caffeine intake, particularly among vulnerable populations. They are intended to limit the growth of unsafe caffeinated products in the general food supply.

 

What’s changing?

  • Prohibition on retail sale of caffeine as a food: The Code will explicitly prohibit the retail sale of caffeine as a food.
  • Restrictions on adding caffeine to food: Caffeine from all sources will not be permitted as an added ingredient in foods for retail sale unless specifically allowed elsewhere in the Code.
  • Guarana extract limits: The retail sale of guarana extract with high caffeine concentrations will be restricted to reduce the risk of highly concentrated sources of caffeine being sold as food.
  • Labelling for high caffeine coffee beverages: Packaged coffee beverages that contain high levels of caffeine will need to declare caffeine content per serve in the nutrition information panel and carry an advisory statement that the product is not suitable for children under 15 years, or for pregnant or breastfeeding women.
  • Permission for caffeine in sports foods: Caffeine will be permitted in formulated supplementary sports foods (FSSF) within defined limits, including a maximum one-day quantity of 200 mg. New warning and advisory labelling requirements apply, along with packaging requirements for certain FSSF in a multipack.

What’s not changing?

  • Existing permissions for some beverages: Current permissions for caffeine in energy drinks and cola drinks remain unchanged.
  • Naturally occurring caffeine: Ingredients that contain caffeine by natural occurrence, such as coffee or tea, can continue to be added to food, unless they are considered an unapproved novel food.
  • Novel food requirements: Foods or ingredients containing naturally occurring caffeine may still require a pre-market safety assessment if they meet the legal definition for a novel food under the Code.

Why this matters:

  • Clearer rules: The changes clarify when caffeine can be added to food and help limit further growth of highly caffeinated products in the general food supply.
  • Informed consumers: Labelling for coffee beverages will provide clearer information where caffeine levels are high.
  • Public health and safety: The amendments reduce the risk of excessive caffeine intake while maintaining access to permitted safe products.
  • Support for innovation: Defined limits for caffeine in sports foods allow product development while maintaining clear safety boundaries.

Consultation and assessment

The proposal was assessed under FSANZ’s general procedure and included 3 rounds of public consultation.

Feedback from consultation, along with scientific risk assessment and engagement with stakeholders, informed our final decision and the development of the amendments to the Code.

Approval

Public consultations

Final consultation was held from 31 October 2025 to 12 December 2025.

Click here to view submissions from the final consultation.

The 2nd call for submissions was undertaken from 4 March 2025 to 15 April 2025. Read our media release.

Click here to view submissions from the second consultation.

The 1st Call for submissions was held from 19 December 2023 to 13 February 2023. Read our media release.

Click here to view submissions from the first consultation.

Administrative assessment

Background

Caffeine has a long history of safe use and is widely consumed through foods and drinks such as tea, coffee and cola. For most healthy adults, moderate caffeine intake does not cause harm. However, the same substance can pose health risks in certain circumstances, depending on dose, pattern of consumption and who is consuming it. 

The primary factor that determines whether caffeine is safe or harmful is how much is consumed at one time or over a day. At lower doses, caffeine can increase alertness and reduce fatigue. As intake increases, however, the likelihood and severity of adverse effects also increase.

Proposal P1056 sought to address issues raised in Urgent Proposal P1054 - Pure and highly concentrated caffeine products which was prepared as an emergency interim response and prohibited the retail sale of foods in which total caffeine is present in a concentration of 5% or more (if the food is a solid or semi-solid food) or 1% or more (if the food is a liquid food). This prohibition came into force on 12 December 2019 and will remain in place until the completion of proposal P1056.

Page last updated: