Your morning (or evening) coffee could see some changes if a proposed rule from the Food and Drug Administration is adopted.
Regulators are considering rules that would ban the use of methylene chloride, a solvent used to decaffeinate coffee beans.
The liquid is used in multiple industries, including paint removal and manufacturing, and exposure can cause drowsiness, dizziness, numbness or tingling in the hands and feet, and nausea, according to the CDC.
However, coffee consumers are exposed to very little of this chemical.
Currently, the FDA allows surface methylene chloride concentrations of less than 10 ppm in decaffeinated beans.
Some news outlets have described the rule as a potential ban on decaffeinated coffee, but only solvents face a ban from regulators.
Here's what you need to know about the FDA's potential decaf coffee rule.
Proposed rule changes
The rules under consideration would ban the use of four solvents for cleaning and peeling fruits and vegetables:
- benzene
- Ethylene dichloride
- methylene chloride
- Trichlorethylene
The American Chemical Society says that due to the chemical's easily soluble nature, the decaffeination process leaves methylene chloride at “well below the permissible concentration of 10 ppm.”
This rule change is being advocated by the Environmental Defense Fund, Breast Cancer Prevention Partners, the Center for Environmental Health, and the Environmental Working Group.
The petition was filed in January and public comment closed in March.
How to decaffeinate coffee using methylene chloride
According to Food and Wine magazine, the decaffeination process involving methylene chloride is called the European method.
In this method, unroasted beans are boiled and soaked in a solution containing methylene chloride or a similar solvent to extract the caffeine.
Rinse the solution from the beans and let them dry before roasting.
Are there other ways to decaffeinate coffee?
There are two ways to decaffeinate coffee without using methylene chloride.
In the CO2 method, beans are placed in water and carbon dioxide is pumped into it. The resulting carbonated water is drained and the decaffeinated beans are roasted.
The Swiss water method involves soaking green coffee beans in hot water to release soluble compounds and caffeine. The water is then filtered through charcoal to remove caffeine and create green coffee extract. This extract is then used to extract the caffeine from the next batch of beans that are roasted.
