What Does Decaffeinated Really Mean?

Drinking caffeine right before bed is a surefire way to keep yourself from drifting off. At that point you’ve got nothing better to do than stare at the ceiling and lament all of those embarrassing fashion choices you made in high school. Not fun. That’s why so many people switch to decaffeinated beverages late in the day. But even if you’ve been drinking decaf coffee for years, you may be surprised to learn that “decaffeinated” doesn’t mean caffeine-free. Those two concepts are entirely different, as decaffeinated beverages undergo a special process that removes some — but not all — of their caffeine.

What Does Decaf Mean?

Decaffeination is a term for the scientific process that strips naturally occurring caffeine out of coffee beans and tea leaves. However, decaffeination isn’t 100% effective, as it only removes only around 97% of caffeine particles. So while the average cup of regular coffee may contain anywhere from 70 to 140 mg of caffeine, an equal-size cup of decaf will still contain roughly 3 mg of caffeine. This amount is effectively negligible, especially by comparison, though it’s still useful to be aware of the fact that decaffeinated beverages contain trace amounts of caffeine.

How Are Drinks Decaffeinated?

There are several common decaffeination methods used by coffee and tea manufacturers that utilize chemical solvents such as ethyl acetate and methylene chloride to strip beans and tea leaves of their caffeine. Let’s focus on coffee beans to describe these methods.

The Direct Method — In this method, the beans themselves come into direct physical contact with the chemical solvent. Essentially, the beans are steamed and then repeatedly rinsed in the solvent to remove as much caffeine as possible.

The Indirect Method — For this method, the solvent never actually comes into contact with the beans. Instead, beans are soaked in water for hours to extract their flavor and caffeine. The beans are removed before a solvent is added to the flavorful water to help remove any caffeine particles. Finally, the water is reintroduced to the beans, which reabsorb their flavors and oils now that the caffeine has been removed.

The Swiss Water Process — This decaffeination method begins by placing the beans in hot water to extract their flavor, before throwing out that initial batch of beans. The water is then passed through a carbon filter that removes caffeine particles. Lastly, the mixture is used to filter a new batch of beans which extracts the caffeine without exposing the beans to any chemical agents.

The Supercritical Carbon Dioxide Method — After soaking beans in water for several hours, the beans are exposed to a combination of carbon dioxide, heat, and pressure. This causes the carbon dioxide to react in a way that it creeps into the crevices of the beans and dissolves the caffeine particles inside.

Is Decaf Safe?

No matter which process is used to decaffeinate beverages, you can rest easy knowing there are strict regulations in place to ensure that all chemical components are washed away. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration mandates that decaffeinated ingredients be washed, steamed, and/or roasted to evaporate any remaining chemical solvents. This makes every decaf drink perfectly safe for consumption.

Why Drink Decaf?

Drinking decaf is a great way to limit your caffeine intake while still enjoying a cup of your favorite beverage. The FDA recommends that healthy adults drink no more than 400 mg of caffeine daily. If you find yourself getting close to that number, switch to decaf instead, allowing you to still enjoy the flavor without any potential health risks.

The Difference Between Decaf and Caffeine-Free

So what’s the difference between decaffeinated and caffeine-free drinks anyway? Well, caffeine-free means there was never any caffeine to begin with, and so the drink didn’t have to undergo any sort of decaffeination process. If you notice a can of caffeine-free Coca-Cola, then the manufacturer simply never added caffeine during the production process, so there was no need to remove it.