How is coffee or tea decaffeinated?
There are three methods to extract the caffeine: using organic chemical solvents (methylene chloride or ethyl acetate), carbon dioxide, or the water method (also known as the Swiss Water method). Since ethyl acetate is derived from fruit, coffee de-caffeinated via this solvent is sometimes described as natural decaf. Some coffee or tea processors use different methods for their various products. Is one type of decaf preferable? No. Over the years there have been worries about decaf processed with methylene chloride because studies had found that this chemical caused cancer when inhaled by lab animals (which is why it was banned in hair sprays). But there was no carcinogenic effect when the animals drank the chemical. In any case, the residue in decaf is virtually nil, and there’s no evidence of any danger for humans drinking decaf. The FDA has approved the compound for use in decaffeination. Many companies, including Starbucks (except for its decaf mocha java), use methylene chloride b
