Modern Decaf

by

CORDOBRA, Mexico

By Kelly Stein

Aging coffee drinkers are a predictable business opportunity for decaffeinators but a surprising number of younger coffee drinkers are driving growth.These younger coffee drinkers (age 24-35) are more discerning about coffee quality and more health conscious and wary of caffeine, according to market research conducted annually by the National Coffee Association (NCA) based in New York City. Their preference for gourmet coffee reflects consumer behavior worldwide.

Concerns related to health, environment, and fair trade relations between producer and the market are guiding their buying decisions, according to Daniel Robles, v.p. exports at Descamex, Descafeinadores Mexicanos, S.A., one of the world’s largest exporters of decaffeinated coffee.

“It was in 2016 that we registered and patented the Mountain Water Decaf, a natural process to extract caffeine in a way that all the coffee sensorial features are preserved ” says Luis Demetrio Arandia Muguira, general director. Thanks to this process, the company is able to sell to different markets that demands organic decaffeinated coffee. “So far we have received organic certifications from OCIAN, USDA Organic, Canada Organic Biologique, and Koshermex to help us reach consumers with different needs,” explains Robles.

Additionally, coffee that is processed as Mountain Water Decaf retains certifications such as Fair Trade Certified, OCIA, ISO 9001, KMD México, Food Safety System (FSSC 22000), Rain Forest Alliance, and Empresa Socialmente Responsable ― all of which play an important role for those who want to appeal to these new consumers.

Two-thirds of coffee drinkers say it is important to limit their caffeine intake, according to NCA. Coffee drinkers under 35 are less concerned about caffeine ― staying alert is their much-cited reason for consuming coffee (versus taking a break).  NCA in its report Coffee Through the Ages, found that 42% of those 35 and older say they drink less coffee at home to limit their caffeine intake while 70% of those 65 years and older say caffeine intake as a major concern.

A surprising finding is the 70% of 25- to 35-year-old coffee drinkers who also try to limit their caffeine intake. This cohort says they pay a lot of attention to news and medical reports about coffee and caffeine (40%).

Only 10% of US consumers prefer non-caffeinated coffee, a number that doubles in European countries such as Spain where 20% of coffee drinkers prefer decaf.  NCA and International Trade Center research suggest the market for decaf has a great potential to grow worldwide.

Exports have doubled from 109,000 60-kilo bags in 2014 to 236,000 bags last year at Descamex. The company exports 74% of its coffee to the US, Japan, Canada, England, France, Australia, Costa Rica, and Spain, says Muguira. The US was the biggest buyer in 2016 at 53%.

The evolution of decaf

Since Ludwig Roselius invented ‘caffeine free coffee’ in 1905, three different ways have been developed to commercially extract caffeine. Roselius used benzene as the main ingredient to extract caffeine from pre-moistened green beans. After launching his own brand Sanka (a name that had French inspiration – “sans caffeine” – no caffeine), business people discovered a whole new market to exploit.

During the 1980s, however, this coffee was considered hazardous for the consumption and the industry had to look for alternatives to meet the demand. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) specified that 97% of the original caffeine must be removed for the coffee to be labeled decaf, but it is not required the label the amount of caffeine. Blends heavy with robusta (which contains significantly more caffeine than arabica) also contain significantly more caffeine. A 12-oz cup of decaf typically contains 3 to 18 milligrams of caffeine compared to between 140 and 300 mg in regular coffee.

Today there are three main decaffeination processes. They work on the principle that since caffeine is soluble at moderate temperatures in can be drawn out of moistened green coffee beans. The most common method uses chemical solvents, but a natural using saturated water was developed for consumers who wish to avoid chemical residue.

Besides the organic process, improvements in taste are intriguing to ‘non-decaf believers’.  With the perfect conditions of flow, pressure, temperature, and vacuum, just the caffeine is removed without compromising the original coffee flavors. This might be the end of the “Death Before Decaf” era, when most people don’t approve the final results of traditional decaf.

To make their point Descamex introduced the Decaf Challenge – a blind tasting with professional cuppers – at different coffee events. During these cupping sections, caffeinated and decaf samples of the same origin are presented to Q-Graders.

“With samples on the table, people are asked three questions: Can you find the pairs? Which sample do you like most? Which one is decaf? “In April in Seattle at the SCA event, most people cupping the decaf believed that their favorite sample had caffeine, but they were wrong. Many were surprised when they discovered that they picked decaf as their favorite,” explains Robles.

High-quality decaf coffee for rigorous customers is the key to sell more coffee, reach lots of people and make more margins for the product globally. Non-caffeine options embrace more coffee drinkers who love the beverage but have some restriction with the stimulant component. Pregnant women, elderly people or consumers with hyper sensitivity will be able to sip their coffee with no worries. “Our main goal is to embrace everyone. We want people enjoying coffee with no limits,” said Muguira.