Not wanting caffeine in your morning coffee, tea, or assorted beverages might seem like a healthy choice, but how do they remove caffeine from tea and coffee?

Waking up in the morning may mean reaching for a freshly brewed cup of coffee to help stimulate your nervous system and get you ready for the day. While some prefer coffee, others may choose tea; both beverages can contain caffeine or be decaffeinated, depending on your preference.

But what's the difference, besides caffeine, between one with it and one without it, and is there any concern about removing caffeine from beverages? The primary difference is that one method uses a chemical (methylene chloride), which may be banned in other applications but not in coffee.

Recently, environmental advocacy organizations urged the United States Food and Drug Administration to think about banning this chemical often used to produce decaf coffee.

The EPA has banned methylene chloride due to its health risks, including cancer and death. One group calling for banning this chemical in coffee making is the non-profit Clean Label Project, which is fighting to find alternatives to methylene chloride in coffee decaffeination.

How Do They Remove Caffeine?

In the United States, the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) controls caffeine levels in coffee (methylene chloride in decaffeinated coffee to 10 parts per million), tea, and other products by setting limits that determine safe levels and permitted caffeine removal methods.

There are a few different ways to extract caffeine from plants. The most common is methylene chloride, also known as the European method. Another method employs ethyl acetate, sometimes called the "natural solvent" because it is found in many fruits such as sugarcane and bananas.

The Swiss water method uses hot water, and the carbon dioxide method uses liquid carbon dioxide. This can change the coffee’s chemical makeup and flavor depending on the process.

The most common procedure has been methylene chloride for a long time, and the FDA has set a limit of 10 parts per million for the leftover amounts in decaf coffee. Furthermore, methylene chloride levels routinely observed in independent coffee brand tests are within FDA guidelines. However, this chemical is also absorbed through the environment, and not limited to decaf coffee, therefore, it is a matter of conjecture how much of it anyone is absorbing during the day.

Humans are mainly exposed to methylene chloride through inhalation, which means that contaminated air vapors are most likely to cause exposure. Skin absorption is slow but may contribute to total body burden. Other than decaffeinated coffee, the main sources of this chemical include paint strippers, aerosol sprays, and specific industrial processes, such as degreasing and pharmaceutical manufacturing, where it is used as a solvent. Skin contact with contaminated materials can also cause exposure, but to a lesser degree.

When I hear of pharmaceutical manufacturing, I am reminded of a comment a colleague made about a particular pharmaceutical plant referred to as “the blue building.” Workers coming out of that building were covered with a blue dust, and it could only be assumed they were also inhaling some of it. I forgot what the specific product was for, but I think it was a sleep or an anxiolytic medication.

How Much Caffeine Is in Your Drinks?

It has been found that adults can safely consume up to 400 mg of caffeine daily. Caffeine sensitivity, however, differs from person to person. You should probably cut back on coffee if it is giving you headaches, irritability, or anxiety.

Anyone, but particularly pregnant women and those who may be sensitive to caffeine levels, should take into account the following assessments of caffeine levels in various beverages, according to research done by the Mayo Clinic.

The amount of caffeine in a cup of tea or coffee might vary greatly, so keep that in mind. And, caffeine content is affected by variables like processing and brewing duration. Here are the figures to help you out:

PRODUCT | OUNCES | CAFFEINE (mg.)
— — — — — — — — — — | — — — — — — — | — — — — -
COFFEE DRINKS:
Brewed | 8 oz | 96
Brewed, decaf | 8 oz | 2
Espresso | 1 oz | 64
Espresso, decaf | 1 oz | 0
Instant | 8 oz | 62
Instant, decaf | 8 oz | 2

TEAS:
Brewed black | 8 oz | 47
Brewed black, decaf | 8 oz | 2
Brewed green | 8 oz | 28
Ready-to-drink | 8 oz | 19

SODAS:
Citrus (most) | 8 oz | 0
Cola | 8 oz (237) | 22
Root beer (most) | 8 oz | 0

ENERGY DRINKS:
Energy drink | 8 oz | 71.9
Energy shot | 2 oz | 215

Effects on Pregnant Women

NIH researchers found that daily coffee consumption during pregnancy is linked to smaller babies. For babies whose moms drank less than the 200 mg of caffeine daily (equivalent to around two cups of coffee), the researchers discovered that their size and lean body mass were correspondingly reduced. Babies who are born too small are more likely to develop health problems including diabetes, obesity, and heart disease as adults. But it's not just caffeine consumption that can lead to changes in utero during a baby's growth before birth.

High caffeine intake during pregnancy (over 200mg daily) risks fetal growth restriction. While some research suggests that moderate caffeine consumption (200 mg or less per day) may be safe for pregnant women, other studies have shown conflicting findings.

Evidence for an increased risk of low birth weight and other adverse delivery outcomes has been mixed, with some studies finding a link and others finding none. Researchers in the NIH study pointed out that previous research failed to take into consideration other variables that can affect the size of the baby at birth, such as the fact that various beverages have different caffeine contents and that mothers smoke while they are pregnant. As is usual, many previously published studies have been found to lacking in numerous variables that could have contributed to the present research results.

The Concern Regarding Coffee Decaffeination

The use of methylene chloride to remove caffeine from coffee is still controversial. Drinking European method decaf, like all coffee, may have some health benefits.

Many individuals who are switching to decaffeinated coffee are already at a higher risk of adverse reactions to trace substances, which is another concern. This group includes those who might switch to decaf for health reasons or while pregnant.

Major coffee businesses are responding to consumer concerns by using alternatives such as the Swiss water method more and more. Scientists believe green tea's active ingredient, EGCG, is responsible for its health benefits.

As with anything we consume, the bottom line is that everyone should be aware of what is in any product we are ingesting, whether it be a beverage or a food. This responsibility may be difficult to apply to all food and beverage products because the information on the label does not contain all of the information we need. Your best hope is to research, especially if you have health concerns, and be an informed consumer—or as informed as possible.