After tea, coffee is the most popular beverage in the world. It s part of the morning ritual for a lot of people because it helps wake them up. But that very same quality is what makes coffee jitters part of the afternoon ritual for those who over-indulge. A six-ounce cup of coffee typically contains approximately 50 to 75 milligrams of caffeine, although the amount varies considerably depending on the method of preparation and the type of coffee. Today decaffeinated coffee accounts for approximately 12 percent of total world-wide coffee consumption.
Many people still avoid decaf coffee because it doesn t taste so good.
That s because the process of decaffeinating the coffee beans involves solvents like methylene chloride, coffee oil or ethyl acetate to dissolve the caffeine and extract it. This process of 'washing the caffeine away also removes some of the beans flavour attributes. Of course, as with any food, the more handling and processing it s subjected to, the blander it tastes. Soon though we could be drinking great tasting decaf coffee that s never been near a solvent. Scientists in Hawaii have successfully removed the caffeine from the coffee plant before it is even produced a bean.