Decaffeinated coffee
Caffeine is a natural substance found in the leaves, seeds or
fruits of more than sixty plants species worldwide. The level of its presence
in non-decaffeinated coffee depends on a number of factors: different types of
coffee contain varying levels of caffeine. Factors determining this include the
variety of the coffee tree itself and where grown, soil, altitude, climate etc.
The decaffeination process is applicable to both soluble coffee (spray dried
and freeze dried) and roasted coffee. Decaffeinated coffee enjoyed a
considerable rise in popularity during the 1980s, especially in the United
States, but its performance in the market during the 1990s has not been very
strong.
Decaffeinated coffee is seen as having to compete with other specialty coffees
and although consumers of decaffeinated coffee tend to be very loyal to the
product, caffeine no longer appears to be an issue that most consumers are
particularly concerned about.
Despite technological improvements in the decaffeination process over the last
fifteen years, and in particular the development of what many see as better
processes which use water and carbon dioxide rather than methyl chloride, the
product is losing market share. It is estimated that decaffeinated coffee
currently accounts for around 9 to 10% of all coffee sales. Usually, it
commands only a small premium over non-decaffeinated coffee and frequently is
sold for the same price: consequently the economics of the decaffeination are
tight.
In mid 2010, trade sources estimated that the cost of the
process ranged from US$ 0.50–0.65 per kg
of green bean, for the cheapest process using methyl chloride, to about double
that for the more expensive methods. Incidentally, there is a substantial
market for extracted, crude caffeine in industries such as pharmaceuticals and
soft drinks.
Updated 11/2010