Tea is a delicious and healthy beverage that is enjoyed by people all over the world. However, many people want to enjoy the taste of tea without the effects of caffeine. This is where decaffeinated tea comes in.
There are a few different methods used to decaffeinate tea. The most common methods are:
- Ethyl acetate: This is a solvent that is used to extract the caffeine from the tea leaves. However, ethyl acetate can also extract some of the flavor and aroma compounds from the tea leaves, resulting in a less flavorful decaf tea. While the chemical occurs naturally in plants, it is harsh and is used in things like nail polish remover. If you see tea that says "naturally decaffeinated" but does not mention CO2, then they likely used this method.
- Water: This method uses hot water to extract the caffeine from the tea leaves. However, this method can also extract some of the tannins from the tea leaves, resulting in a bitter-tasting decaf tea.
- Supercritical carbon dioxide (CO2): This is the method we use, and it is the most modern and effective method of decaffeinating tea. CO2 is a gas that can be made into a supercritical fluid under high pressure and temperature. In this state, CO2 can dissolve caffeine but not the flavor and aroma compounds of tea. This results in a decaf tea that tastes very similar to regular tea.
In addition, we use CO2 to decaffeinate our teas because it is:
- Effective: CO2 can remove up to 99% of the caffeine from tea leaves, and it tends to remove more caffeine than other methods.
- Flavor-friendly: CO2 does not extract the flavor and aroma compounds from tea leaves, resulting in a decaf tea that tastes very similar to regular tea.
- Safe: CO2 is a natural substance that is not harmful to human health.
- Environmentally friendly: CO2 decaffeination does not use any harmful chemicals or solvents.
If you are looking for a delicious and healthy cup of decaf, then look no further than our teas.