Down for the count.

Was it asking too much?

Last July, when we called on the FDA to require food companies to list caffeine - content on their labels, the Grocery Manufacturers of America (GMA) didn't take our slap on the beans lightly.

No can do, it said. Why?

* Everybody already knows that coffee and tea contain caffeine, says the GMA.

But do they know how much is in foods that contain coffee? Can they tell, for example, that a cup of Dannon Coffee Yogurt contains 45 milligrams of caffeine (that's like drinking half a cup of instant coffee), while a cup of Dannon Light Cappuccino Yogurt has none?

* Shoppers can call the toll-free number that's listed on many labels if they want to find out how much caffeine is in a food, says the GMA.

But even if you happened to have your cellular phone with you in the supermarket, would you suspect that a can of Sunkist Orange Soda had more caffeine than a can of Pepsi?

* There's no proof that caffeine is harmful, says the GMA.

So why does the FDA recommend that pregnant women minimize their caffeine intake?

Don't get us wrong. Nobody wants to ban caffeine. But people who want to limit their intake should be able to tell how much they're getting in their food.

If you agree, please fill out and return the coupon to us (CSPI--Caffeine, Suite 300, 1875 Connecticut Ave. N.W., Washington, D.C. 20009). We'll forward them to the FDA.

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