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Caffeine in coffee: its removal. Why and how?
1Department of Plantation Products, Spices, and Flavour Technology, Central Food Technological Research Institute, Mysore, India.
Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition
|October 12, 1999
Summary
Coffee consumption is rising, but caffeine can cause addiction and affect the cardiovascular system. This review explores decaffeination methods, including organic solvents, water, and supercritical carbon dioxide, for producing decaffeinated coffee.
Area of Science:
- Food Science
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Coffee is a popular beverage with increasing consumption.
- Caffeine in coffee can lead to addiction and stimulate the central nervous system.
- Caffeine affects cardiovascular health, potentially increasing blood pressure.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review various methods for removing caffeine from coffee.
- To discuss the advantages and disadvantages of different decaffeination techniques.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on coffee decaffeination.
- Analysis of methods employing organic solvents.
- Analysis of methods employing water or supercritical carbon dioxide.
Main Results:
- Decaffeination aims to reduce caffeine content while preserving coffee's characteristics.
- Organic solvent methods, water processing, and supercritical CO2 offer different efficiencies and potential impacts.
- Each method presents unique advantages and disadvantages regarding cost, effectiveness, and environmental considerations.
Conclusions:
- Decaffeination is a significant process in the coffee industry.
- Understanding the pros and cons of each method is crucial for selecting the optimal decaffeination technique.
- Further research may refine existing methods or introduce novel approaches for decaffeination.