Cracker Jack’s New Surprise? You’ll Never Guess!

Just about everybody, I'm guessing, has had at least a little experience with Cracker Jack. It's a classic snack, with too much sugar [probably], but otherwise peanuts and popcorn. Seems pretty safe, right. Well, Frito-Lay, which makes the treat, says it'll add a controversial new ingredient in at least a few varieties.

This may have been a bad time to announce that you plan to add caffeine to a snack that is frequently served to children. After all, the FDA is investigating caffeine-spiked "energy drinks" amid reports of deaths from young people who over-used the over-the- counter stimulants.

Frito-Lay says caffeine will be added to selected varieties of its new Cracker Jack'd line of snacks. The move is not sitting well with a few consumer groups, including the Center For Science In The Public Interest [CSPI]. The group points out that there are very specific rules for how much caffeine you can add to colas, but none whatsoever for other foods. Frito-Lay says the caffeine-laced snacks will have a cup of coffee's worth of caffeine per serving [the packages will reportedly contain 2 or so servings, meaning that a young child who finishes a bag could be lacing his body with enough caffeine to .cause serious illness, or possibly death.

What's your take on caffeine-spiked snack foods - especially one with the pedigree of Cracker Jack? Talk to us, here or on our Facebook page.