Skipping out on caffeine? Well, your coffee may be served with a side of chemicals.
Decaffeinated coffee beans are standard coffee beans with the caffeine stimulant removed, and the way that chemical is removed, well, can be controversial. The chemicals used in the process have been linked to several health risks, which can be worrisome for the 26 million Americans who drink decaffeinated coffee each day. Recent discussions of banning methylene chloride, a likely carcinogen often used in the decaffeination process, have confused and concerned decaf drinkers.
The National Coffee Association, a trade association for the coffee industry dating back to 1911, isn’t here for any proposed bans. The pro-joe group released a statement pushing coffee consumption of any type, including decaf, thanks to its longevity benefits and other healthy associations.
Of course, consumers can decide what’s worth the risk — or if a risk is apparent at all — by learning a bit more about decaf coffee. Here’s what you need to know.
What is the European Method of Decaffeination?
The European Method of Decaffeination also called the Indirect-Solvent Process, is a common way to remove caffeine from coffee beans before roasting. Used widely (not just in Europe), it’s the decaffeination method that has environmental and health activists concerned. This process starts by boiling coffee beans and then soaking the softened beans in chemicals such as methylene chloride or ethyl acetate (also used in nail polish remover). These compounds bind to the caffeine from the beans, extract it, and then the beans are rinsed to remove chemical residue, dried, and roasted.
Currently, the FDA allows a small amount of methylene chloride to remain on beans for consumers, 10 parts per million (0.001%), but that tiny number is currently up for debate, in terms of health and safety.
What is methylene chloride, the chemical compound used in the decaffeination process?
Methylene chloride, also called dichloromethane, is a chemical compound. It’s a clear liquid that, in addition to removing the caffeine from coffee, is also used in paint removers, paint strippers, metal cleaners, and pharmaceuticals.
While that may not sound super appealing for a morning beverage, the American Chemical Society says that despite the chemical being potentially carcinogenic, removing residual chemicals from coffee doesn’t present a hazard: It is quite easy to make methylene chloride safe for human consumption because the “solvent’s volatility makes it easy to remove residual solvent.” And any remaining solvent “is well below the 10-ppm concentration allowed by the US Food and Drug Administration.”
Related:
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