A limited number of cans that were supposed to contain caffeine sachets turned out to contain nicotine portions. The cans are of the XQS brand. The company Insurgent Ventures is now withdrawing the variant in question, XQS Citrus Cooling, from stores.
"Unfortunately, a limited number of tins have the wrong products in the tins. The incorrect product in the tins contains nicotine and should not be consumed."
According to a press release from Insurgent Ventures the number of incorrectly packed doses is limited. The portions in question contain 6.13 mg of nicotine instead of 50 mg of caffeine. According to the company, it is also possible to see directly on the sachets whether they contain nicotine or caffeine.
"This can be seen mainly by the fact that the portions are more yellow-coloured than those with caffeine, which are more or less completely white." the company writes.
Compensating customers
Insurgent Ventures urges consumers who have purchased the product (with batch number CC003102) to discard the can or return it to the store where it was purchased.
"Of course, they will be compensated with a correct product when they return the old one." writes Insurgent Ventures.
Caffeine sachets are becoming more common
Caffeine sachets have, alongside the popular nicotine variants, taken place in the shops more and more in the last year. Like nicotine, caffeine is addictive but also energising and concentration-enhancing. It is one of the most widely used stimulants in the world today.
Similar to nicotine
Caffeine has similar properties to nicotine and can be consumed today via hot and cold drinks, tablets and sachets under the lip. Often the products are flavoured to facilitate consumption. The concentration of caffeine in a sachet can vary between 20 mg and 100 mg per serving.
Same health risks
The direct health risks of caffeine are also similar to those of link to smokeless nicotine. Depending on the concentration and amount consumed, it can contribute to increased blood pressure, temporary stiffness of blood vessels and cause certain complications in type 2 diabetes. Caffeine has also been linked to an increased risk of stroke, but there is currently no evidence that the stimulant itself is responsible for an increased risk of heart attack.
