Several news stories recently called into question whether the decaf being served in coffeehouses is fully decaffeinated. Swiss Water Decaffeinated Coffee Company (SWDCC) of Vancouver, British Colombia, would like to clarify some confusion regarding a recent study out of the University of Miami, Florida, that led to these stories. "If someone drinks five to 10 cups of decaffeinated coffee a day, the dose of caffeine could easily reach the level in a cup or two of caffeinated coffee," said co-author Dr. Bruce Goldberger, a professor and director of the University of Miami's William R. Maples Center for Forensic Medicine. In reality, approximately 33 cups of decaffeinated coffee would have to be consumed before caffeine amounted to one cup of regular! Besides that fact, the National Coffee Association's 2006 National Coffee Drinking Trends study indicates the average consumption of cups of coffee per day is only 1.89 cups. The Florida study concentrated on heavy coffee drinkers; five to 10 cups a day is an extremely high and unusual consumption!

The fact is, ALL decaf sold in the US and Canada is processed to strict decaffeination standards. The SWISS WATER® Process meets the US Food and Drug Administration decaffeination guideline of 97% caffeine removed, as well as the Canadian/European decaffeination standard of 99.92% caffeine free. The Swiss Water Process undergoes regular caffeine level audits to ensure compliance with both removal definitions. A Certificate of Analysis is available for every coffee contract upon request.

If the decaf served in the study contained so much caffeine, it is possibly the result of "operator error" at the point of brewing. Some potential errors include fresh decaffeinated coffee being brewed into a partially empty carafe of regular, or even the wrong coffee being brewed from the start. But, inadequate rinsing and cleaning of equipment is the most likely explanation for the results in the study that were so widely publicized. Proper precautions need to be taken in cleaning machines prior to grinding decaffeinated beans or brewing decaf, to avoid a contamination issue due to any remaining regular caffeinated beans. However, the potential always exists for simple operator error. Ultimately, the operator must be able to separate regular from decaffeinated coffee.

At first glance, stories like these may seem like damming evidence, yet so many questions were left unanswered. Who made the coffee and where? Were proper precautions taken? Were higher extraction rates, warmer water, finer grinds or lighter roasts responsible for a higher caffeine level in the decaf coffee?

For the coffeehouse operator, the most important aspect of this story is that coffeehouse customers must be reassured whenever they have the opportunity to choose decaf, that GENUINE decaf really is served, that it is carefully brewed into clean, rinsed equipment and that only clearly labeled decaffeinated coffee is used to make decaffeinated coffee. Using equipment that is clearly, permanently labeled "For Decaf Use Only" is most helpful. It is also a good idea to instruct staff to mention to customers all the care that is taken in preparing decaf. Remember, if a decaf drinker doesn't trust the coffee being served they have no other option but to opt out as a coffee drinker altogether! Ben Hieltjes, Vice President of Business Development at SWDCC, adds, "Tell your customers how careful you are with regard to brewing and serving decaf to them. After all, you value their patronage and you want them to sleep at night-and you do too!"

About Swiss Water Decaffeinated Coffee Company, Inc.
Swiss Water Decaffeinated Coffee Company, Inc. (SWDCC) decaffeinates premium coffees to a 99.9% caffeine free level. The SWISS WATER® Process is a certified organic, 100% chemical free, proprietary decaffeination process used by premium roasters and demanded by discerning decaf drinkers around the world. The SWISS WATER® Process is the world's only branded decaffeination process and SWDCC supports its brand through ongoing consumer research and focused consumer advertising. For more information about SWDCC or brokers and roasters that carry SWISS WATER® Process decaf, visit Swiss Water or call 800.677.6181 x244.