Which method do you use to decaffeinate your teas?
In the EA decaffeination process, tea leaves are moistened with
water and ethyl acetate, an FDA approved organic chemical
solvent. The leaves are then dried and heated. The
caffeine in the moistened leaves bonds with the ethyl
acetate. During the drying process, the ethyl acetate and
water is evaporated, taking the caffeine with them. Heating
of the tea enables the removal of most of the remaining organic
chemical residues.
In the CO2 process, moistened tea leaves are first
treated with heat and pressure and then treated with carbon
dioxide, a natural gas. The carbon dioxide bonds with the
caffeine and both are evaporated.
All decaffeinated dry tea leaves typically leave a caffeine
residue of 0.1% - 0.4%. We periodically test our brewed
decaffeinated teas (as prepared) for caffeine content and the
results tend to be within that % range. No other residual
substance testing is done
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