Food and Nutrition | How Is Coffee Decaffeinated?
How is coffee decaffeinated?
There are two methods generally used to decaffeinate coffee. In the first, coffee beans are placed in a rotating drum and softened by steam for 30 minutes. Then the beans are rinsed in a chemical solvent such as methylene chloride for approximately 10 hours. Once the solvent has absorbed the caffeine from the beans, both caffeine and chemical are drained away. The beans are then steamed for another 8 to 12 hours so that any remaining solvent evaporates. A minute amount of the solvent—approximately 0.1 parts per million—remains in the beans.
In the second method, called the water process, green coffee beans are soaked in hot water until the caffeine is drawn from the beans. The water is then drained and treated with a chemical, such as methylene chloride, which absorbs the caffeine. The water mixture is then heated until both the chemical and caffeine evaporate. The remaining water is...
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