Tootsie Rolls are among the most popular candies today. This little piece of chocolate is given on traditional American holidays from Halloween to Christmas, Easter to the Fourth of July. Yet with the increasing awareness of chocolate’s caffeine content and concerns about the effects of caffeine, you may wonder how much caffeine is in a Tootsie Roll.
Finding Caffeine Content
Unlike carbohydrates or sugar, caffeine content is not usually listed on individual products consumers purchase every day. However, to find out caffeine content, you can simply call the 1-800 number listed on the label of many products or by visiting the product’s website. In addition, the caffeine content of products is available from NutritionData.com, a website providing extensive information on the nutritional components of common foods.
The Effects of Caffeine
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has noted that caffeine additives in a regular diet can have adverse effects. In lab tests, extreme amounts of caffeine have been known to cause cancer, produce birth defects and have a stimulating effect on recipients. Small amounts of caffeine, however, produced little to no side effects. While small amounts of caffeine are certainly not toxic, the FDA notes, “It is inappropriate to include caffeine among the substances generally recognized as safe.”
Caffeine Content of a Tootsie Roll
The caffeine content of a Tootsie Roll comes from the chocolate that makes up its flavor. Every Tootsie Roll has 0.5 mg of caffeine. For every serving, which is about six individual Tootsie Rolls or Midgees, there are 2.8 mg of caffeine. The sugar level in one Midgee is 4 g; in one serving, it is 23 g. Calories contained in one roll are 25, but the level is 155 in one serving.
Caffeine in Other Candies
Chocolate, though commonly considered a source of caffeine, does not contain an excessive amount of caffeine. A regular-sized Hershey Bar, 1.55 oz, has 10 mg of caffeine. Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups have 4 mg of caffeine per serving, while Kit Kat bars average 6 mg per serving. Hershey’s Chocolate Syrup has 7 mg of caffeine per 2 tbsp., yet Hershey’s Cocoa has 11 mg of caffeine per 1 tbsp.
Caffeine Content Comparison
For those concerned about caffeine content, there is little to worry about in Tootsie Rolls. A serving size of Tootsie Rolls, or six Midgees, contains about 3 g of caffeine, about the same as a cup of decaffeinated coffee. To top the caffeine in a regular, drip cup of coffee, you would have to consume 140 Tootsie Rolls.
