How are drinks de-caffeinated?!
How are drinks de-caffeinated?
Answers:
Coffee can be decaffeinated in several ways: with chemicals, the swiss water process or carbon dioxide.
Caffeine free sodas just don't have any caffeine added as regular sodas do
Decaffeination Processes
What is decaffeinated coffee?
Decaffeinated coffee is coffee which has had almost all of the caffeine removed. Commercial decaffeination processes were initiated in Germany during the early part of the 20th Century. There are different methods of decaffeination, though the end result is more or less the same.
The three methods, all widely used, are; 'Water decaffeination', 'Solvent decaffeination' or 'Carbon dioxide decaffeination'.
Water Decaffeination
This method uses water to dissolve the caffeine from green coffee beans. This is done before roasting. Typically, water in run through coffee beans, creating an extract. The extract is then passed through activated carbon to remove the caffeine. The liquor containing water soluble components but without caffeine is then either concentrated and reincorporated on the decaffeinated beans, which have been partially pre-dried, or re-circulated through the beans and the caffeine is removed - this process is continually repeated.
Solvent Decaffeination
Solvents which can be used to selectively remove caffeine from green coffee beans include methylene chloride (dichloromethane), and ethyl acetate which is a natural component of fruits, vegetables and many other foodstuffs. The process involves using a solvent to dissolve the caffeine out of pre-wetted green beans. The solvent is removed, and the caffeine distilled out of it, so that the used solvent can be re-utilised in a further round of decaffeination. After completion of decaffeination the green beans are intensely treated with steam to remove all adherent traces of the decaffeination solvent. The decaffeinated green coffee beans are then dried, and ready for roasting. The roasting and grinding process further evaporates any minute residues of solvent, which might remain in the coffee, and there are strict European limits governing the levels of any solvent residues in decaffeinated beans. In fact, manufacturers operate well below these limits, ensuring the purity of the final product.
Carbon-dioxide Decaffeination
Caffeine can be made to dissolve out of pre-wetted green coffee beans when contacted with supercritical or liquid carbon dioxide, which is a normal constituent of air. This method does not involve the use of additional solvents, and the used carbon dioxide can be passed through active carbon to remove the caffeine, so that it can be recycled. The decaffeinated beans are then dried, and ready for roasting.
They take the caffeine out.