How is decaf made? Comparison of three methods for removing caffeine

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The origins and development of decaf coffee: why is it sold with swiss water treatment?

At present, caffeine removal methods are mainly divided into dissolution, Swiss water treatment and carbon dioxide extraction.

Solvent extraction

Coffee beans are softened and heated with high temperature and high pressure steam to expand the surface of the beans and increase the contact area. Then dichloromethane (CH3CI) solvent is poured into the beans and the solvent is contacted to extract caffeine. This method uses methylene chloride to absorb caffeine from the bean surface, but it does not affect the flavor of coffee beans.

Swiss Water Treatment Act

Soak the coffee beans in warm water. After the caffeine and other ingredients are dissolved in the water, filter the caffeine from the essence with activated carbon. Then introduce the caffeine-free essence back into the coffee beans so that the coffee beans can absorb the lost ingredients again. This method emphasizes that no chemical solvent is used to extract caffeine, which is also the choice of healthy eaters; although no chemical solvent is used to extract caffeine, some components of coffee are filtered by activated carbon, causing coffee to lose some flavor. Not only that, but the production of decaffeinated coffee by this method is also more expensive.

Carbon dioxide high pressure extraction

Roasting coffee beans produces a lot of carbon dioxide (CO2). At this time, the carbon dioxide is treated by high pressure into a liquid state, and then poured into the treated coffee beans to remove caffeine. Then, the pressure is released to convert the carbon dioxide into a gas. This way to remove caffeine will not cause coffee beans damage, color will not change, it is not easy to extract substances other than caffeine, can retain the original flavor of coffee beans, but because it needs a special high-pressure environment to complete, it requires a large investment in equipment, so this way of extraction of low caffeine coffee is rarely seen on the market.

Either way, the industrial process of decaffeinating coffee beans is expensive, and the carbon dioxide and organic solvents that flow through the beans wash away the aroma of the coffee, which is more or less destroyed during the process.

Although many people choose to drink caffeine-free or decaffeinated coffee is worried that they will not sleep or palpitations, worried that caffeine will temporarily prevent calcium absorption, but here remind everyone, as long as the coffee powder is soaked in water for too long, coffee powder is too fine, it will also extract excessive caffeine oh!

Finally, caffeine is not the cause of calcium loss, osteoporosis, because caffeine is a water-soluble substance, as long as we ingest enough water, caffeine will soon be excreted. With proper sun exposure and exercise, we can enjoy the benefits of coffee and maintain a healthy body and a happy mood ^__^

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