Process for the decaffeination of raw coffee

摘要

A process for the decaffeination of raw coffee. The process involves increasing the moisture content of the raw coffee and selectively extracting caffeine from the raw coffee by using hydrous liquefied carbon dioxide as an extractant at a pressure below the critical pressure of carbon dioxide. The process differs from conventional processes which use liquefied carbon dioxide at pressures above the critical pressure but it is suprisingly found that the process of the invention does not result in the coextraction of aroma components of the coffee. The use of lower pressures means that the process of the invention is more economical than conventional processes.