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Q: Decaffeinated coffee. Guidelines/standards/rules in USA and Europe ? ( Answered,   1 Comment )
Question  
Subject: Decaffeinated coffee. Guidelines/standards/rules in USA and Europe ?
Category: Miscellaneous
Asked by: alsinger-ga
List Price: $10.00
Posted: 08 Aug 2005 06:29 PDT
Expires: 07 Sep 2005 06:29 PDT
Question ID: 553015
Coffee still contains a small portion of caffeine after it has beeen decaffeinated.
 
How much caffeine is allowed in decaffeinated coffee ? 
 
I am looking for the percentage for the United States with indication
of the relevant regulation/standard and the organization/body issuing
it.

Ideal if same information is given for other countries (Europe/EU,
Japan, Canada, Australia,...). However, this additional information is
not a condition for the answer.
Answer  
Subject: Re: Decaffeinated coffee. Guidelines/standards/rules in USA and Europe ?
Answered By: nenna-ga on 08 Aug 2005 19:07 PDT
 
Good evening Alsinger and thank you for the interesting question. 
Being a coffee drinker, I was suprised at how much caffiene I am
drinking, just by drinking one cup of coffee a day.  I always thought
soda had more caffeine and tried to stay away from it as much as I
could - I guess we all learned something tonight!

According to sources listed below, the average cup of American-style
coffee contains about 100 to 150 milligrams of caffeine while the
average cup of decaf should range somewhere between 2 to 4 milligrams
of caffeine per cup.

Espresso:              100 mg
Tea:                   40 - 60 mg
Jolt Cola:             58.8 mg
Mountain Dew:          55.0 mg 
Plain Chocolate:       50 mg
Coca - Cola:           45.6 mg
Diet Cola:             45.6 mg
Dr. Pepper:            39.6 mg
Pepsi Cola:            37.2 mg
Diet Pepsi:            35.4 mg
Decaffeinated coffee:  2 - 4 mg
7 U:                   0.0 mg

Sources:  

Just About Coffee
( http://www.justaboutcoffee.com/index.php?file=caffeinecontent )

Cherry Hill Coffee
( http://www.cherryhillcoffee.com/fyi/fyi.html#Anchor-Caffeine-14210 )

= = = = = = = = = =

" According to Commercial Item Description (CID) A-A-20213B , the
United States Department of Agriculture mandates that decaffeinated
coffee cannot contain more than 0.10 percent on a dry basis in the
packaged item, as determined by Association of Analytical Communities
(AAOC) International Official Method 979.1 1. However, a reduction in
caffeine by 97.5% is the legally accepted method of calculation."

Source:  Coffee & Health
( http://thecoffeefaq.com/7health.html#caffeineindecaf )


"In the United States federal regulations require that in order to
label coffee as "decaffeinated" that coffee must have had its caffeine
level reduced by no less than 97.5 percent.

Source:  Coffee FAQ
( http://coffeefaq.com/coffaq6.htm#decaf )


= = = = = = = = = =

"Arabica coffee contains 0.8-1.4% caffeine. In other words, it is
naturally 98.6 to 99.2 percent caffeine free. That 1.1% average must
be further reduced by 97.5 percent to be considered decaffeinated."

Source:  Coffee & Health
( http://thecoffeefaq.com/7health.html#caffeineindecaf )


"Panamanian coffee is about 1.36% caffeine by weight normally. This
and many other arabica coffees are about 98.64% caffeine free even
before anything is done to lower the caffeine content."

Source: Coffee FAQ
( http://coffeefaq.com/coffaq6.htm#decaf )


"In European Community (EC) countries, roasted decaffeinated coffee
may contain a caffeine residue of 0.1 percent and coffee extract 0.3
percent."

Source:  Europe by Mail
( http://www.europebymail.com/coffee/ )

= = = = = = = = = =

Coffee trivia:

* The first process for decaffeinating coffee was invented by Ludwig
Roselius in 1905.

Source:  Science & Technology
( http://www.sciam.com/askexpert_question.cfm?articleID=0005A4DD-591F-1C72-9EB7809EC588F2D7
)


* Decaffeinated coffee accounts for about 10 percent of the world coffee market.

Source:  Food USA
( http://www.foodnavigator-usa.com/productnews/news.asp?id=55311&k=scientists-try-to
)

* Coffee drinking has been around since approximately  900 BC. 
Rhazes, an Arabic doctor, mentioned coffee in one of his writings.

Source:  Europe by Mail
( http://www.europebymail.com/coffee/ )

* "Researchers say they have engineered coffee plants that have 70
percent less caffeine than usual in their leaves." (See link for full
article)

Source:  CBS News
(http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/06/18/health/main559277.shtml )

= = = = = = = = = = 

I hope this answers your question.  If you would like clarification
before rating my answer, please do not hesitate to ask!

Nenna-GA
Google Researcher
Comments  
Subject: Re: Decaffeinated coffee. Guidelines/standards/rules in USA and Europe ?
From: dops-ga on 08 Aug 2005 09:24 PDT
 
In the US the maximum amt. is 0.3% 

the link:
http://64.233.161.104/search?q=cache:DxAOitUNNcQJ:www.tbpc.state.tx.us/bids/openmarket/696-6-73413-2.doc+labeling+regulations+what+percent+caffeine+in+decaffeinated&hl=en&ie=UTF-8

In the EC it is 0.1% 

http://www.douwe-egberts.co.uk/uk/Retail/TheWorldOfCoffee/CoffeeFAQ/
http://archive.food.gov.uk/maff/archive/food/infsheet/1997/no103/103caff.htm

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