Photo by zoonabar/Flickr CC
Many of the more macho coffee drinkers think that all decaffeinated coffee is beside the point. "Why bother?" they ask.
But those who value the taste of coffee as well as the stimulation may disagree. Then, there are those people who, despite their love and appreciation of coffee, can't tolerate much caffeine; others, who tolerate it well in the early part of the day, can't sleep if they drink coffee later in the day. Caffeine metabolism varies widely among individuals. Generally, men process caffeine faster than women, especially pregnant women, who are slowest. The liver metabolizes caffeine, so age and liver health also affect one's tolerance. (See "Caffeine and Decaf" in the curator's Joy of Coffee, or the Wikipedia entry on caffeine.)
All this brings us to decaffeinated coffee.
All decaffeination methods adversely affect flavor, but careful selection of green beans along with competent roasting and brewing can produce a cup that may fool the experts.As recently as the mid-'80s, people were drinking more decaf, thinking that caffeine was bad for them. As more and more research showed the health benefits of coffee, people began to switch back to caffeine. Sales of decaf in the late '80s for some roasters were as high as 25 percent of total coffee sales. Today, among both commercial and specialty roasters, the percentage is more like 10 to 15: lower, but still a significant portion of coffee drinking.
Please suspend any chemo-phobia you may have while reading this. Don't let the technical words for chemicals put you off, and don't play into the hands of the irresponsible scare tactics of unscrupulous advertisers of Swiss Water-process decaffeination.
There are four main methods of decaffeination in wide use today, each named for the solvent used: di-hydro-oxide (aka water), ethyl acetate, supercritical CO2, and methylene chloride (dichloromethane in Europe). Even if you remember your high school chemistry, the words may be unfamiliar, but keep that chemo-phobia in check. (A new method using ultraviolet light is coming to the market. Don't get your hopes up--poor flavor, so far.)
All methods produce a range of quality primarily due to bean selection (garbage in = garbage out) and process temperature, which affects the speed and thus the cost of processing. The American standard for decaffeinated coffee is to remove 97 percent of the original caffeine. Since caffeine content of individual coffees varies widely (see my earlier post on the topic), the amount of residual caffeine will also vary. Unfortunately, all decaffeination methods adversely affect flavor, but careful selection of green beans along with competent roasting and brewing can produce a cup that may fool the experts.
For decades, we have preferred coffees decaffeinated with methylene chloride (MC) because time after time, year after year, they have produced the most flavorful cup. The method is simple enough. First, steam swells the beans to make it easier for the caffeine to be removed. The solvent is then circulated through the beans and then into distillation to remove the caffeine and wax that have been removed from the beans. The cleansed solvent is recirculated and re-distilled until the caffeine has been removed. The beans are then rinsed with water and vacuum-dried.
The most sensitive test for detecting residual MC detects as little as one part per million. I have never seen a test result that detects any amount in specialty decaf. Furthermore, the boiling point of the solvent is 104 degrees F and coffee is roasted at 375 to 425 degrees F. Any remaining solvent, if there were any, would be vaporized during roasting. MC has been eliminated from cosmetics and has stringent worker safety regulations in Europe, but the procedures used in coffee processing and roasting leave nothing to cause any concern.
Most important, after safety, is taste. MC is the most selective solvent, leaving the greatest coffee flavor in the beans.
NEXT: The three other major decaffeination methods.
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As the President of the Swiss Water Decaffeinated Coffee Company, I thought it appropriate to weigh in on Mr. Baldwin’s derogatory remarks against us. And, I am weighing in on behalf of the underestimated and often overlooked decaffeinated coffee consumer. Our message and tactics are not “deplorable” in the least. Our advertising (which we created within a humorous framework) speaks to the decaf drinker to expand their knowledge with regard to a choice that they have, but may be unaware of. We base our decisions in advertising our Swiss Water Process on consumer insights that have been derived over many years of research and by talking with countless decaffeinated coffee consumers.
Mr. Baldwin, your point of view regarding decaffeinated coffee processing, and lack of knowledge regarding what we currently do at the Swiss Water Decaffeinated Coffee Company is unfortunate. Why the outcry and attacks when we share information about decaffeination more openly? Now more than ever, the discussion should be centred on the balance between quality, cost and disclosure.
You state, “we use the method we use because of the quality.” Let’s set aside quality, for the moment. I counter that methylene chloride and ethyl acetate decaffeination are used because of their low cost, so roasters can save money. Why shouldn’t the decaf drinkers know this? The major mass market coffee companies of the 1980’s lobbied the FDA to allow these chemicals to be used in coffee decaffeination. It is more profitable to decaffeinate coffee using methylene chloride or ethyl acetate as it is undeniably cheaper. But our research shows that the consumer, when informed and given the choice, will pay more for a decaffeination process that doesn’t use those chemicals, a fact we at Swiss Water, have understood for over a decade.
As you may know, the Swiss Water Decaffeinated Coffee Company is a Canadian decaffeinator based in Vancouver. You may not know that in Canada there is legislation surrounding labeling of decaffeinated coffee products. This legislation ensures that consumers are aware of how their coffee has been decaffeinated. Packaged coffee for home use must clearly state the solvent used on the sub panel of the product. It is no surprise then that the share of coffees decaffeinated using methylene chloride or ethyl acetate in Canada is less than 20%. It should also not be surprising that in the United States, where no legislation exists to inform the consumer on coffee packages, the share of coffees decaffeinated using methylene chloride or ethyl acetate is well over 60%.
The message is clear: when the consumer is informed, they choose a coffee not decaffeinated with either of these solvents. The U.S. coffee drinker has no ability to choose as they are not informed of the decaffeination process used, hence the prevalence of chemical methods. I submit that if roasters are proud of the process they use, then, as is legislated in Canada, state the use of the solvent on the coffee package. Be proud of it. But let the consumer decide. (FYI: Canada is not the only jurisdiction concerned with food quality and safety as it relates to decaffeinated coffee. Japan and South Korea have exceedingly stringent rules concerning food safety in affect to protect the consumer, and the solvents mentioned above are illegal for use.)
I believe that the consumer has a right to choose. It is that simple. Now, more than ever in the United States, coffee companies are standing up for transparency, for sustainability, for doing the right thing. Why should decaffeination and decaffeinating processes be any different? It should be the consumer’s right to have the opportunity to make an informed choice, particularly in the matter of decaffeination. Labelling us, and the advertising of our chemical free process, as unethical, irresponsible and unscrupulous is simply incorrect.
Finally, in terms of the quality of the Swiss Water process, we know that we started poorly in 1989. But even the facility built at that time was an improvement over the original facility in Schaffhausen, Switzerland, where the process was pioneered in the early 1930’s. We struggled amidst lack of focus and ownership changes through the 1990’s. But we have now established a culture of consistent, sustainable and continuous improvement as a result. We have made incredible strides in improving the quality of our cup. This commitment to improvement is contrary to your inference that all we do is just advertise while others are improving quality, Mr. Baldwin.
We would not say this unless we could prove it. We are proud of the improvements we have made and continue to make. We are most satisfied with the results. So pleased, in fact, that we are telling decaf drinkers directly through our advertising!
In closing, would like to invite you to be our guest, Mr. Baldwin, to visit our facility, and experience our hospitality as well as our incredible improvements in product quality. Hopefully, we will then change your mind about Swiss Water Decaffeinated Coffee Company.
Frank Dennis
President, Swiss Water Decaffeinated Coffee Company
Vancouver, Canada