How much caffeine a day? The EFSA and BfR’s guidelines

How much caffeine a day is safe? According to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), healthy adults can consume up to 400 mg spread throughout the day and up to 200 mg in a single serving. Pregnant and breastfeeding women should consume no more than 200 mg a day. Here you can find out what that means in terms of cups and cans, who these guidelines do not apply to, and what can happen if you consume too much caffeine.

An overview of the guideline values

The figures are taken from a 2015 risk assessment by the EFSA. They apply to the general healthy population, including older people and those who take part in sport. According to the EFSA, single doses of up to 200 mg are safe for healthy adults even if taken less than two hours before vigorous exercise.

What that means in terms of cups and cans

The number of portions required to reach the recommended limits depends on the drink. The caffeine levels are approximate figures provided by the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR); the actual content may vary; the portions are calculated.

Important: The amounts add up. Anyone who drinks two cups of filter coffee in the morning has already consumed around 180 mg. According to the BfR, just three 250-ml cans of energy drink consumed in quick succession – totalling 240 mg – exceed the single dose limit of 200 mg. You can find more figures in our caffeine table.

Where caffeine is found

Caffeine occurs naturally in coffee beans, tea leaves and cocoa beans. However, it is also isolated or produced chemically and added to, for example, cola drinks, energy drinks, sweets, ice cream and baked goods; dietary supplements are also included. Chocolate is also a source: according to the BfR, half a bar of dark chocolate (50 g) contains around 25 mg, milk chocolate around 10 mg, and a cup of hot chocolate 8 to 35 mg. However, according to the National Consumption Study II, adults in Germany consume caffeine primarily through coffee, accounting for 85 per cent of their intake.

Maximum levels in energy drinks and powders

In Germany, energy drinks may contain no more than 320 mg of caffeine per litre. The ‘Energy – Blackcurrant & Pomegranate’ flavour, at 32 mg per 100 ml, is exactly within this limit. For food supplements, the caffeine content must be stated per recommended daily intake.

The BfR considers pure caffeine powder to be particularly risky: the standard serving of 200 mg is equivalent to just 0.2 g of powder. Kitchen scales usually measure in 1-gram increments, and even with the spoons provided, it is very difficult to measure this accurately. In some cases, the powder is sold in packs of 200 g or more.

To whom these values do not apply

The EFSA has not established safe intake levels for people with medical conditions or health problems. This also applies to people who take medication or drugs, or who drink large amounts of alcohol – the guideline values do not apply to them. Anyone with an underlying medical condition or who is taking medication should consult their doctor to determine the appropriate amount of caffeine.

According to the BfR, children, pregnant women, breastfeeding women and people who are sensitive to caffeine – such as those with cardiovascular conditions – are particularly susceptible. They should avoid drinks with high caffeine content, such as energy drinks.

Caffeine during pregnancy and whilst breastfeeding

For pregnant and breastfeeding women, a total intake of up to 200 mg spread throughout the day is considered safe for the foetus and the breastfed baby. A prolonged period of increased caffeine intake during pregnancy can slow foetal growth. In addition, the body breaks down caffeine more slowly in the third trimester – the half-life can increase to as much as 15 hours.

In numerical terms, 200 mg is roughly equivalent to two cups of filter coffee. Drinks containing more than 150 mg of caffeine per litre must carry the following mandatory warning ‘High caffeine content. Not recommended for children or pregnant or breastfeeding women’ – including Energy drinks, Blackcurrant & Pomegranate flavours.

Children and young people

For children and adolescents, the EFSA has set the safe intake level based on body weight: 3 mg per kilogram, either as a single dose or spread throughout the day. For a child weighing 40 kg, this amounts to 120 mg per day. However, according to the BfR, children should avoid energy drinks altogether. According to the EsKiMo II nutrition study, young people aged 12 to 17 consume caffeine primarily through coffee (32 per cent), tea (30 per cent) and caffeinated soft drinks (20 per cent).

What happens if you have too much caffeine

According to the BfR, adverse effects may occur when consumed in large quantities: nervousness and irritability, insomnia, sweating and palpitations. The severity of these effects depends on individual sensitivity and the dose. Over a prolonged period, too much caffeine can lead to cardiovascular problems such as high blood pressure.

It becomes life-threatening when consumed in quantities of several grams: 5 to 10 g of caffeine can lead to acute circulatory failure – amounts that are virtually impossible to reach through normal food sources. The risk is particularly high with pure caffeine powder: 0.2 g of powder is already 200 mg, and one to two teaspoons of pure caffeine are potentially life-threatening.

Sleep is also affected: according to the EFSA, even 100 mg can affect the duration and patterns of sleep in some adults, particularly shortly before bedtime. The article ‘Half-life of caffeine’ explains how long caffeine remains active.

Acclimatisation and abstinence

According to the BfR, there is scientific debate as to whether caffeine is addictive. It is recognised that regular caffeine consumption can lead to tolerance: some of the usual effects then become less pronounced or cease altogether. It is also recognised that, following regular, high consumption, suddenly stopping can trigger withdrawal symptoms, such as headaches, tiredness or irritability.

Caffeine and alcohol

According to the EFSA, moderate alcohol consumption up to around 0.8 per mille does not affect the safety of single doses of caffeine up to 200 mg. However, the BfR identifies health risks when energy drinks are consumed in large quantities alongside large amounts of alcohol, as the effects on the cardiovascular system could reinforce one another.

Frequently Asked Questions

Sources

1. Acqua Reaper: Product label for Energy Blackcurrant, as at 07/26.
2. Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR): Questions and answers on caffeine and caffeinated foods, including energy drinks, FAQ dated 5 January 2026. bfr.bund.de
3. Federal Ministry of Justice: Fruit Juice and Soft Drinks Regulation (FrSaftErfrischGetrV), Section 5, Annex 8, accessed 16 September 26. gesetze-im-internet.de
4. European Food Safety Authority (EFSA): Caffeine, Scientific Opinion 2015, accessed 16 September 2026. efsa.europa.eu
5. NCBI Bookshelf / StatPearls (Evans J, Richards JR, Battisti AS): Caffeine, last updated 29 May 24. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov