Caffeine added to kid-friendly snacks is getting an FDA investigation

Caffeine-infused waffles and maple syrup are being promoted as energizing alternatives to a morning mug of coffee. But the recent craze of adding caffeine to a range of kid-friendly snack foods — including popcorn, chewing gum, candy bars, mints, Cracker Jacks, jelly beans and ice cream — is raising enough concern that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has launched an investigation of caffeine’s possible health effects on children and adolescents. The effort, which comes amid the heated debate over whether energy drinks with stimulants are safe for children, marks the agency’s first close look at the world’s most popular psychoactive drug since its use in cola drinks was approved in the...