Health worries over coffee shop caffeine levels

Caffeine levels in cups of coffee bought on the high street can differ considerably, according to a new study.

Researchers at the University of Glasgow tested caffeine levels in drinks bought at 20 chain and independent coffee shops in the city and discovered that one espresso contained six times more caffeine than another.

Experts are concerned that such large discrepancies could result in people consuming far more caffeine than they realise.

For pregnant women this can be particularly dangerous, according to a report by the Press Association. Advice from the Food Standards Agency (FSA) is that pregnant women should not consume more than 200mg of caffeine per day, but one cup tested by the research team contained 322mg. The same type of drink bought at a branch of a major coffee chain in Glasgow contained just 51mg.

Alan Crozier, from Glasgow University's School of Medicine, said: "Our data represent only a snap-shot of the caffeine contents of espresso coffees, but the range and scale of the results is sufficient to demonstrate that there is a problem, unlikely to be restricted to Glasgow."