What is the process for decaffeinating the SENSEO® coffee?
Douwe Egberts uses the dichloromethane method (DCM) to extract caffeine from coffee. This is of a quality specially made for the food industry. The green beans will be moistened with water and soaked in the extraction liquid for half an hour. This process is repeated several times. After the caffeine is dissolved, the DCM containing the caffeine is removed. Then, for a long time, the beans will be steamed to remove possible remains of the solvent, Further, the beans will be dried with warm air and cooled with cold air. Finally, the coffee will be roasted the usual way, ground and packed. No solvent remains, and the coffee meets the regulations set for residue levels.
