How are coffee tea and colas decaffeinated?
Caffeine occurs naturally in coffee beans, tea leaves and kola nuts (used in most colas). To decaffeinate coffee, the most common method is called solvent extraction, in which the beans are steamed to raise the moisture content. The dissolved caffeine then rises to the surface of the bean and is then washed off with an organic solvent such as methylene chloride.
Similarly, tea is usually decaffeinated by soaking it in methylene chloride, which bonds to the caffeine molecules and removes them. Another method is using ethyl acetate, which is a natural chemical found in tea, but this method is often said to leave a chemical aftertaste in the tea.
Another method of decaffeinating tea is by "pressure cooking" it with CO2, or carbon dioxide. At high temperatures, the CO2 becomes a solvent and its small, nonpolar molecules attract the caffeine molecules, removing it from the tea and keeping the tea’s flavor intact.
As for caffeinated soft drinks such as colas, most of the caffeine is added in (less than 5 percent of caffeine found in colas is derived from the kola bean). For decaffeinated sodas, the caffeine is simply not added.
Caffeine occurs naturally in more than 60 plants, including: • the arabica plant, which produces coffee beans • the Theobroma cacao tree, which produces the beans that are the primary ingredient in chocolate • kola nuts, which many cola drink products are made with • the Thea sinensis plant, whose leaves are used for teas When separated from its sources, caffeine is a white, bitter-tasting powder. See How Caffeine Works for more information about caffeine. Several methods are used to remove caffeine from its natural sources: • Methylene chloride processing • Ethyl acetate processing • Carbon dioxide processing • Water processing Methylene chloride is a chemical used as a solvent to extract caf
How are coffee, tea and colas decaffeinated? Caffeine occurs naturally in more than 60 plants, including: • the arabica plant, which produces coffee beans • the Theobroma cacao tree, which produces the beans that are the primary ingredient in chocolate • kola nuts, which many cola drink products are made with • the Thea sinensis plant, whose leaves are used for teas When separated from its sources, caffeine is a white, bitter-tasting powder. See How Caffeine Works for more information about caffeine. Several methods are used to remove caffeine from its natural sources: • Methylene chloride processing • Ethyl acetate processing • Carbon dioxide processing • Water processing Me
