Taiwan FDA: Daily Caffeine Intake Should Not Exceed 300 Milligrams

According to Taiwan's Central News Agency, coffee products sold in the Taiwan region carry red, yellow, and green color codes based on their caffeine content. The Taiwan Food and Drug Administration notes that for large cups of coffee bearing a red label, consumption should be limited to one cup per day; beyond that, caffeine intake becomes excessive.

Daily Caffeine Intake Recommendations

The Taiwan Food and Drug Administration, under the Ministry of Health and Welfare, states that according to assessments by the European Union's Scientific Committee on Food, a daily caffeine intake below 300 milligrams does not pose a threat to health.

The agency recommends that consumers limit themselves to no more than one red-labeled cup per day, or three green-labeled cups per day. The public can use the information printed on product labels to assess their own coffee consumption against their personal health.

Caffeine Labeling System

Before its reorganization as the FDA, the Department of Health's Bureau of Food and Drug Safety announced in 2007 that beverages containing coffee should display their caffeine content. It also guided fresh coffee businesses to adopt the red, yellow, and green color coding: red represents more than 200 milligrams of total caffeine per cup, yellow represents 100 to 200 milligrams per cup, and green represents under 100 milligrams.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

Since caffeine content varies with the bean, the roast, and the dose, the most useful thing a drinker can do is know what is in the cup, and that starts with choosing beans deliberately. FrontStreet Coffee's entry-level specialty lineup is a good place to begin, and it spans the classic producing countries so you can find a flavor you like without overspending.

From Ethiopia, the natural Huakui from the Sidamo region is a traditional sun-dried coffee with a bold tropical and fermented aroma, showing berry, floral, jackfruit, melon, and honey notes, while the washed Guodingding Cooperative in Yirgacheffe brings jasmine, lemon acidity, and a berry tone. From Brazil, the Cerrado daily bean is a Red Bourbon with cream, peanut, and cocoa notes, soft acidity, and an approachable price, while the Queen Estate, grown higher and planted with the rare Yellow Bourbon, adds butter, sunflower seed, macadamia, and almond notes over a clean sugarcane sweetness. From Indonesia, the Lintong Mandheling uses wet hulling to deliver a dense, smooth, low-acid cup with herbal and spice notes, and the higher-grade PWN Golden Mandheling is sorted once by machine and three times by hand for the cleanest, smoothest result, with clear woody and caramel tones. From Colombia, the Huila daily bean comes from the country's best-known specialty region, where the mountains reach above 1,500 meters, and it leans toward soft florals and gentle fruit acidity. From Costa Rica, the high altitude, wide day-night temperature range, and volcanic soil produce the hard-bean SHB grade, and the honey-processed coffees are the signature: both the raisin honey Mozart and the black honey Blackberry show raisin and blueberry sweetness with osmanthus and rose notes, and they read clear and sweet in the cup. From China, the Yunnan small-bean is washed and mellow with nuts and chocolate, and the 2013 Yunnan Typica, an old Arabica variety grown at 1,300 meters and roasted medium, is cleaner still with hazelnut, dried apricot, black tea, caramel, and ripe plum. From Panama, the Boquete washed Geisha is a genuine Geisha at an entry-level price, with the orange-blossom honey character and delicate fruit acidity the variety is known for.

Whatever you choose, dose and roast are the two levers on caffeine. A daily bean roasted to a moderate level and brewed at a measured ratio keeps the cup predictable, so if you are watching your intake against the 300-milligram guideline, weighing your coffee and knowing your cup size tells you more than any label. FrontStreet Coffee's daily beans are all roasted to moderate levels and are versatile enough for pour-over, moka pot, and espresso, so the same bag can be brewed stronger or lighter to suit the day.