This just In: Decaf Coffee May Not Be as Healthy as You Think!
If you are like me, you enjoy the taste of coffee but don’t need the wake-up boost of caffeine late in the day. Decaf would seem to be the best option. Or is it?
Two chemicals are typically used in the coffee bean decaffeination process. One is methylene chloride, a known carcinogen used in paint strippers and metal degreasers. The other is ethyl acetate, which is used in nail polish and printing ink.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has banned the use of methylene chloride. However, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has determined that 0.001 percent of the chemical in your coffee is acceptable.
Ethyl Acetate has no such restrictions. The FDA considers it a “secondary direct food additive permitted in food for human consumption”1 and deems it less toxic that methylene chloride.
While ethyl acetate is not banned for use in any other countries, methylene chloride is. Both the European Union (EU) and Australia have banned its use in food processing, including the decaffeination of coffee.
California is considering requiring companies to disclose the use of these chemicals on their packaging. However, the United States requires no such labeling. 2
There’s no need to fear losing your afternoon perk. There is a clean method for creating decaffeinated coffee beans. Swiss Water Processing, also known as water processing, spring water processing, and mountain water processing, is a chemical-free method. It uses water, temperature and time to remove the caffeine from your coffee beans.
The water process has three steps:4
Osmosis: Green coffee beans are soaked in a freshwater solution containing Green Coffee Extract (GCE) with caffeine removed. Through osmosis the caffeine is extracted from the soaking coffee beans.
Filtration: The GCE is then run through charcoal filters, which remove only the caffeine.
Repetition: The osmosis and filtration process are repeated multiple times until 99.9% of the caffeine is removed from the coffee beans leaving behind all the flavor.
Once the caffeine is removed, the beans are dried and bagged, ready for roasting.
With such a simple method, you might wonder why all companies aren’t using it. Are the chemical processes faster? Not really. All three methods take approximately 10 hours per batch.6,7
It is more likely that the chemical processes cost less. (Cost figures are based on inflationary increases since 1984) 5
Methylene Chloride Process: $1.50 - $2.50 per pound
Ethyl Acetate Process: $2.26 per pound
Swiss Water Process: $3.50 - $4.50 per pound
If reducing chemical exposure is a priority for you, choosing the water processing decaf method, though a little pricier, is a good option. Here is a list of 25 decaf coffees that won’t keep you up at night worrying what else is in them:
Peet’s Coffee: Major Dickason’s Blend Decaf, Dark Roast, 16 oz Bag - $19.95
Kicking Horse Coffee: Decaf, Medium-Dark Roast, 10 oz Bag - $13.99
Stumptown Coffee Roasters: Decaf Trapper Creek Blend, Medium Roast, 12 oz Bag - $17.00
Blue Bottle Coffee: Night Light Decaf, Medium Roast, 12 oz Bag - $23.00
Bulletproof: Original Decaf, Medium Roast, 12 oz Bag - $15.99
Whole Foods: 365 Organic Buzz Free Decaf, Full City Roast, 10 oz Bag - $10.49
Café Don Pablo: Columbian Swiss Water Decaf, Medium-Dark Roast, 12 oz Bag - $14.59
Copper Moon: Organic Swiss Water Decaf, Medium Roast, 12 oz Bag - $13.00
Seek: Organic Decaf Mold-Free Coffee, 12 oz Bag - $25.95
Purity: Calm Decaf Coffee, Medium Roast, 12 oz Bag - $27.00
Simple Truth Organic: Decaf 100% Peruvian, Medium Roast, 11 oz Bag - $7.49
Coffee AM: Organic Peru Decaf Swiss Water Coffee, Medium Roast, 16 oz Bag - $17.95
Subtle Earth Organic Coffee: Swiss Water Decaf Honduran Marcala, Medium-Dark, 12 oz Bag - $14.49
Manatee Gourmet Coffee: Island Dark Swiss Water Decaf, Dark Roast, 12 oz Bag - $12.00
Caribou Coffee: Decaf Caribou Blend, Medium Roast, 16 oz Bag - $14.99
Counter Culture Coffee: Slow Motion Decaf, Medium Roast, 12 oz Bag - $19.00
Verena Street: Decaf Sunday Drive, Medium Roast, 12 oz Bag - $12.00
Stack: Medium Peru Swiss Decaf Cold Brew, Medium Roast, 12 oz Bag - $22
Fresh Roasted Coffee: Mexican Water Processed Decaf, Medium Roast, 12 oz Bag - $14.99
Twiga Coffee: Ethiopia Sidamo Decaffeinated, Medium Roast, 12 oz Bag - $16.99
Kauai 100% Hawaiian Coffee: Swiss Water Decaf, Medium Roast, 10 oz Bag - $19.00
Verve Coffee Roasters: Vancouver Swiss Water Decaf, Medium Roast, 12 oz Bag - $19.75
San Francisco Bay Coffee: Decaf Gourmet Blend, Medium Blend, 28 oz Bag - $21.99
Oren’s Coffee: Swiss Water Process Decaf French Roast, 12 oz Bag - $17.00
Charleston Coffee Roasters: Organic SWP Decaf, Dark Roast, 12 oz Bag - $15.75
As you can see, there are many options varying in roast type and price point. There is something for everyone. So, keep sipping your afternoon brew and drop us a line about which one is your favorite in the comments.
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