Have you ever wondered how they remove the caffeine from coffee beans, leaving the aroma and flavor intact? In this video, we show you the most used technique today: the use of Supercritical CO₂ a particular state of carbon dioxide, halfway between liquid and gas.
But let’s take a step back: what is caffeine? It’s a natural alkaloida molecule that gives the exciting effect that we know well. Caffeine presents itself with a color white and it’s very bitter, and in this video we’ll show you and even taste it! This molecule is dissolved together with many others that give coffee its characteristic aromas and colors. The objective, therefore, is to extract it, without touching the other substances.
The use of supercritical CO₂
To do this, you use the Supercritical CO₂. Raised to specific temperatures and pressures, carbon dioxide enters this particular state. As we explain in the video, sophisticated machinery is used that allows the CO₂ to enter the pores of the bean and dissolve selectively caffeine, thus preserving all the aromatic substances.
Thanks to these processes, carried out on an industrial scale, it is possible to eliminate more than 97% of caffeine.
And that’s not all: as we tell you in the video, it is the most effective, safe and even method sustainable. The CO₂ used is in fact recovered from industrial fumes and, in addition to being valorized, it is avoided to be left free in the atmosphere. What is the most famous greenhouse gas is thus transformed into a perfect solvent, with a significantly lower environmental impact compared to organic solvents derived from petroleum.
