AreoShot Coffee Inhalers
AreoShot, a new coffee inhaler, is now on the market in New York and Massachussets. Its also available in France and online.
The inhaler comes in a cannister about the size of a lipstick tube. It contains 100 mg of caffeine powder and costs $2.99. The airborne energy particles coat the inside of your mouth and back of the throat, then are swallowed, Massachusetts General Hospital reports. The particles dissolve quickly and are reportedly too large to reach the lungs.
It was created by David Edwards who is a biomedical engineering professor. Mr. Edwards claims the product is safe, but US Senator Charles Schumer of New York is calling for a FDA review of the now-unregulated energy product. Edwards, however, dismisses fears that inhaling caffeine might be harmful as “a bit of hysteria” and “the knee-jerk reaction” to anything new, according to USA Today.
Critics fear that it will be used as a drug by partiers. “You want those 10 cups of coffee, it will probably take you a couple hours to get through all that coffee with all that volume that you are drinking,” Lisa Ganijhu, MD, an internist at St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital in New York City, told ABC News. “With these inhaled caffeine canisters you can get that in 10 of those little canisters — so you just puff away and you could be getting all of that within the hour.”
The packaging warns people not to consume more than three AreoShots a day, well within the safe range for caffeine consumption. According to Massachusetts General Hospital, you’d have to consume about 80 inhalers (8,000 mg. of caffeine) to risk death by caffeine, since such a massive amount could cause a dangerous heartbeat abnormality called ventricular fibrillation. Three cups of coffee or three AeroShots deliver about 300 mg. of caffeine, considered a moderate, safe intake. Amounts above 750 to 1,000 mg. a day can be risky, due to the potential for “caffeine intoxication,” marked by such symptoms as anxiety, facial flushing, rapid or irregular heartbeat, impaired judgment, GI upset and insomnia.
Kids, Coffee and ADHD, A Cure in A Cup?
Christie Haskell, blogger for Cafe Mom’s “The Stir” gives her seven year old son coffee first thing in the morning and follows it up with an extra dose later in the day. She revealed her “treatment” for her son’s ADHD on ABC News.
Mrs. Haskell claims that coffee keeps her son focused in the classroom and helps keep his behavioral issues in check. In short, she is using caffeine to treat his ADHD. She claims it works like a charm.
“He doesn’t overreact if we ask him to pick up Legos, rather than screaming and throwing himself on the floor,” Haskell told ABC. “And if we ask him to sit down and do homework, he can actually do it.”
Common symptoms of ADHD include inattentiveness, impulsivity and hyperactivity. A recent study released by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that nearly one in 10 American children are diagnosed with ADHD. Traditionally this disorder is treated with Ritalin and behavior therapy. However as many as two-thirds of kids diagnosed with ADHD have used some form of alternative treatment, according to the NY Times.
Starbucks Sued Over Tip Jar
According to the St. Louis Post Dispatch, Starbucks has been sued by a Missouri family after their loved one tried to thwart a tip jar robbery and ended up dead.
Roger Kreutz was ordering coffee in a Crestwood Starbucks on March 3rd, 2008 when Aaron Poisson, who was 19 years old, grabbed the tip jar from the counter and ran. Kreutz chased him to his car where a physical altercation ensued. Poisson got in his car and stuck Kreutz with the vehicle while trying to make his escape. Kreutz later died from his injuries.
Poisson, of Cumming, Ga., was later arrested in St. Louis, and pleaded guilty of involuntary manslaughter. He was sentenced to one year in prison,the St. Louis Post Dispatch reported.
Kreutz’ family has filed a wrongful-death lawsuit against Starbucks, blaming them for inviting criminal activity by leaving tip jars near customers. According to the lawsuit, obtained by the St. Louis Post Dispatch, Starbucks “did not employ security to prevent the perpetration of such crimes” and that it “invited the act of perpetration of said crime” by having a tip jar.
Starbucks did not comment to the Dispatch regarding the lawsuit.
Coffee Cups and Thermoses Have Been Added to Terror Weapons List
If you are carrying a thermos or coffee cup in the airport you can expect to be looked at a little more closely than those who don’t because such items could be used to conceal explosive materials, according to an official advisory
Passengers travelling with insulated beverage containers can expect to see additional screening of these items using procedures currently in place, including X-ray screening, physical inspection and the use of explosives trace detection technology,” states an advisory issued by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA).
Its best to leave a little extra time when you are traveling, especially during the holiday season, due to increased security measures.
Tis’ the Season
Tis’ the season for flavored coffee!!!! This year, more regional and grocery store brands are participating with holiday blends of their own according to Bloomberg Business Week reports.
Starbucks has Peppermint Mocha Latte, Gingerbread Latte and Eggnog Latte. They also carry a lower-calorie version of the Peppermint Mocha Latte in select markets.
Dunkin’ Donuts has added a low-cal version of its gingerbread-flavored drip coffee to its holiday lineup.
Caribou Coffee has Fa La Latte and Ho Ho Mint Mocha.
Maxwell House is offering a Peppermint Mocha Latte mix.
Get your holiday flavor on!
Kona Coffee Faces Quarantine Due to Pests
Hawaii had decided to go ahead with an “emergency administrative rule” to quarantine Kona coffee. They hope to keep a coffee berry borer, which is a tiny beetle that is smaller than a sesame seed, from spreading to the other islands.
The beetle bores into the coffee cherry, which contains that coffee bean, to lay its eggs. The larvae feed on the coffee bean and reduce the bean’s size and quality, agriculture officials said. Agriculture officials have found 21 areas in south Kona that are infested with the pest.
The quarantine would require green, non-roasted coffee beans to be treated with heat or insecticide before they’re shipped off the island. “Depending on how it comes out, the effects of the quarantine could be disastrous for those of us who grow Kona coffee,” said Bruce Corker, president of the Kona Coffee Farmers Association.
Those who would be most severely impacted is the organic Kona coffee farmers. The Kona Coffee Farmers Association is calling for a ban on the import of all foreign green coffee beans into Hawaii, because they believe that’s how the bug got here.
Studies Show Coffee Use Can Help Reduce Disease Risk
The Harvard School of Public Health has released an observational study showing that moderate coffee consumption can help reduce the risk of developing certain diseases including diabetes, heart disease, Parkinson’s disease, gallstones, liver cancer and cirrhosis.
The study was based on researchers drawing conclusion based on differences between the number of disease cases in coffee drinkers versus non-drinkers.
The Harvard University School of Health has an
infographic which includes Health Benefits, Health Risks, Caffeine Comparisons, and a Facts & Statistics a page addressing each disease the study indicated was affected by coffee consumption.
Corn Coffee Now For Sale in Manila
Daveo City in Manila now has a new coffee product being provided to the group Coffee For Peace. Corn Coffee!!! Farmers from Sumilao will be providing the corn coffee.
“Our corn coffee is special because it’s caffeine-free, all-organic and all-natural, with no additives and no preservatives,” said Maria Carmela Sue P. Otarra, spokesperson for the Sumilao Agri-Enterprise (SAE), Inc. comprising local farmers. The Coffee for Peace, which used to be called Peace-building Community Cafe, sells and promotes civet coffee beans from the mountain ranges of Davao and Cotabato.
Starbucks Plans Selective Price Increase
Starbucks has made the decision to raise the price on some of its drinks after its announcement that it would absorb the rising cost of coffee. The decision is due to the price of green Arabica coffee. They said Wednesday that due to the near 13 year high on the green beans along with the rise in the cost of dairy, sugar and cocoa, they must raise the price on larger sizes and hard to make drinks.
“Over the last six months, a highly speculative green coffee market and dramatically increased commodity costs have completely altered the economic and financial picture of many players in the coffee industry,” said Starbucks Chief Executive Howard Schultz, in a statement.
The prices have been rising from the roasters for months and Starbucks has resisted changing its prices up until now, but “the extreme nature of the cost increase has made it untenable for us to continue to do so.”
Coffee Prices Soar!
Coffee prices have risen about 43% in the last three months. This is a 13 year high for the delectable bean.
Coffee for December delivery settled up 2.25 cents at $1.9455 a pound Wednesday after hitting $1.9865 per pound earlier in the day. Trading volume was light, which can exaggerate price movements, according to the Associated Press.
Many people are finding a retail price increase due to the soaring prices of coffee. Some of the brands that have reflected the increase in their retail pricing are owned by the JM Smucker Company including Millstone, Foldgers, Foldgers Gourmet Selections and Dunkin’ Donuts. K-Cup Portion Packs, sold by Green Mountain Coffee Roasters for the Keurig Single-Cup brewing system, are set to rise in price by 10% to 15% next month.
Deb Trevino, spokesperson for Starbucks, insists that their prices will not be affected by the rising price of coffee. The company intends to absorb the extra cost, instead of passing it on to the consumer.
This week’s rally appears to be largely due to speculative trading because fears have eased about weather and supply issues, said Spencer Patton, founder and chief investment officer for hedge fund Steel Vine Investments LLC.
Cafe Grumpy in NY Bans Laptops
Cafe Grumpy in Chelsea, NY is fed up with extension cords being ran all over their store. Although their Brooklyn location welcomes those with laptops and noise cancelling headphones. The owners, Caroline Bell and Chris Timbrell have been the target of much bad publicity for their ban in the Chelsea location.
Cafe Grumpy has opened up a third location with a different design intended to forever fix their “laptop” problems. The new location in Park Slope has no chairs…at all, unless you count the bench outside of the coffee bar for those who choose to linger. It does have a counter in the rear of the shop and a chest-high table in the front.
“I don’t think I’d ever do a bigger space with tables and chairs again,” Ms. Bell said. “I appreciate the idea of when you go someplace and it feels like a home away from home, but I don’t think it should be a home office away from home.”
This type of grab-n-go coffee bar is becoming more common around the country and especially in New York. “There’s clearly a philosophy behind the coffee bar,” said Christian Geckeler, who describes his ongoing odyssey to taste the country’s best coffee on Manseekingcoffee.com. “It puts the emphasis on the coffee and the barista.”
To read more check out the New York Times article at http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/25/dining/25coffee.html
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