Declination and tea have long been misunderstood not only by consumers but also by industry experts. When I read a summary from a newly released book recently written by one of the most renowned tea industry experts, I was shocked when it came to the obvious misconception regarding declination processing and tea.
I started questioning my knowledge about decaffeinated processing and decided that verifying what I thought was true was the best thing to do. I have decided to speak with specific authority on this matter, USA, Inc. Joe Simarney, President of the Tea Association of (TAUS).
Although some details needed to be corrected, I was immediately relieved to find that my vital information was true. So here's what I learned. Contrary to what I think, declination processing is not regulated by the FDA and is completely voluntary in accordance with industry standards. The FDA does not have its own set of guidelines, but relies on the expertise of the Tea Association Technical Committee (TTC) for best practices. Non-compliance is not legally or otherwise permissible. So what if a group distributes "caffeine-free tea" that does not meet the standards? The first line of defense is TAUS, which seeks to resolve the issue diplomatically. If it fails, the FDA will be notified and follow up to see if necessary changes have been made in the processing. So what do those guidelines cover?
Guidelines
Tea labeled as decaffeinated does not contain more than 0.4% caffeine by weight.
Caffeine-free tea, is an inappropriate labeling term for any tea regardless of declination processing level.
Currently, only 2 methods are approved for decaffeinating tea leaves, solvent extraction using ethyl acetate and carbon dioxide in the supercritical state. Both were selected for extraction and did not pose a risk of toxicity.
Carbon dioxide is considered the best of both worlds, retaining many benefits and flavor.
Fact
Decaffeinated tea contains between 1/3 and 2/3 less beneficial components than regular, non-caffeinated tea.
Both ethyl acetate and carbon dioxide are considered and the latter is labeled "natural" because the trace amounts of both components are present in tea leaves, which naturally is a fine line for most of us.
"Water Process", aka Swiss Water Process, Natural Water Process, etc., is sometimes used in packaging, which the industry has not found to be more effective than first-made at home.
Decoction by "water processing" at home is done by soaking the tea leaves for 30 seconds and then filling the infusion. Then you get up and stand as usual. Although it eliminates caffeine, it is difficult to say for sure how much caffeine is still present and how good it is for health.
Tea bags provide more caffeine than tea that is loose in your cup because they flow faster.
The size of the tea leaves used, the brewing time and the water temperature all help determine the amount of caffeine in your cup.
Cultivation, environmental factors, area and growing conditions, beyond your control, affect the amount of caffeine in your cup.
Only coffee contains less caffeine, then before making tea, 1 pound of tea gives 200 cups and 1 pound of coffee gives 40-50 cups.
Ethyl acetate and carbon dioxide are the only government-approved decision, processing. Methylene chloride is not a guideline or government approved method in the United States.
Although we have a limited selection of decaffeinated teas, we guarantee that all decaffeinated teas sold as teas, etc. will be processed using carbon dioxide.
In short, with the growing public interest in health and food issues, accurate labeling is likely to become a major issue in the future. Be a smart customer. Beware of fraudulent marketing and misleading information. The most important thing is to drink good, quality tea every day...
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