Summary:
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Decaffeination Techniques: Professor Michael W. Crowder discusses three primary methods used for decaffeinating coffee—Carbon Dioxide, Swiss Water Process, and Solvent-Based Methods, each aiming to maintain the coffee’s natural flavors while removing most of the caffeine content.
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Effectiveness and Preservation of Flavor: These methods vary in their effectiveness, removing between 94% and 98% of caffeine. Techniques like the Swiss Water Process and indirect solvent method attempt to reintroduce some flavor compounds that are lost during decaffeination.
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Chemical Challenges: It is chemically challenging to remove only caffeine without affecting other flavor and aroma compounds. Some decaffeination methods manage to retain more of the coffee’s original character by reintroducing certain extracted flavors.
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