STiR coffee and tea magazine

STiR coffee and tea 41 The evolution of decaf Since Ludwig Roselius invented 'caffeine free coffee' in 1905, three different ways have been developed to commercially ex- tract caffeine. Roselius used benzene as the main ingredient to extract caffeine from pre-moistened green beans. After launching his own brand Sanka (a name that had French inspiration – "sans caf- feine" – no caffeine), business people dis- covered a whole new market to exploit. During the 1980s, however, this cof- fee was considered hazardous for the consumption and the industry had to look for alternatives to meet the demand. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) specified that 97% of the original caffeine must be removed for the coffee to be labeled decaf, but it is not required the label the amount of caffeine. Blends heavy with robusta (which contains sig- Ignacia Martinez cupping for quality Descamex decaffeination factory Testing for extraction of caffeine nificantly more caffeine than arabica) also contain significantly more caffeine. A 12-oz cup of decaf typically contains 3 to 18 milligrams of caffeine compared to between 140 and 300 mg in regular coffee. Today there are three main decaffeination processes. They work on the principle that since caffeine is soluble at moderate temperatures in can be drawn out of moist- ened green coffee beans. The most common method uses chemical solvents, but a natural using saturated water was developed for consumers who wish to avoid chemi- cal residue. Besides the organic process, improvements in taste are intriguing to 'non-decaf be- lievers'. With the perfect conditions of flow, pressure, temperature, and vacuum, just the caffeine is removed without compromising the original coffee flavors. This might be the end of the "Death Before Decaf" era, when most people don't approve the final results of traditional decaf. To make their point Descamex introduced the Decaf Challenge – a blind tasting with professional cuppers – at different coffee events. During these cupping sections, caffeinated and decaf samples of the same origin are presented to Q-Graders. "With samples on the table, people are asked three questions: Can you find the pairs? Which sample do you like most? Which one is decaf? "In April in Seattle at the SCA event, most people cupping the decaf believed that their favorite sample had caffeine, but they were wrong. Many were surprised when they discovered that they picked decaf as their favorite," ex- plains Robles. High quality decaf coffee for rigor- ous customers is the key to sell more coffee, reach lots of people and make more margins for the product globally. Non-caffeine options embrace more cof- fee drinkers who love the beverage but have some restriction with the stimulant component. Pregnant women, elderly people or consumers with hyper sensitiv- ity will be able to sip their coffee with no worries. "Our main goal is embrace ev- eryone. We want people enjoying coffee with no limits," said Muguira.

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