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Mass Transfer of Dichloromethane from EU Retail Roast and Ground Decaffeinated Coffee into Prepared Beverages
* 1 , 2 , 3 , 4
1  Demus S.p.A., via Caboto, 31, 34147 Trieste, Italy
2  CR3-Analytik GmbH & Co. KG, Waterbergstraße 14, 28237 Bremen, Germany
3  Coffein Compagnie GmbH & Co. KG, Sebaldsbrück 7, 28309 Bremen, Germany
4  Deutscher Kaffeeverband e.V., Steinhöft 5-7, 20459 Hamburg, Germany
Academic Editor: Dirk W. Lachenmeier

Abstract:

Dichloromethane (DCM) is extensively used around the globe in various applications, such as in closed industrial installations for food processing or pharmaceutical extractions (vitamins, antibiotics, etc.). In the coffee sector it is used as an extraction agent for the decaffeination process of green coffee beans. Due to its low boiling point, ranging at approx. 40°C, DCM can be easily removed subsequent to caffeine extraction by applying state of the art solvent stripping processes. The intention of this study is to assess how much DCM, if any, is present in decaffeinated coffee packages as sold to the consumer, as well as how much of the extraction solvent residue is transferred into the finally prepared, consumable coffee beverage. This study sets out to highlight DCM contents of decaf coffees, directly taken from 6 EU countries’ supermarket shelves. In addition, DCM mass transfer rates from roasted coffee matrices into the corresponding, variously prepared beverages (drip percolated coffee, French press) are determined. All analyses were performed applying a Headspace-GC-MS technique. All presented data demonstrate that DCM residues in the 34 coffee samples analyzed have contents well below the DCM maximum residue limits for roasted coffee both in the European Union (2 mg/kg) and the USA (10 mg/kg), with an average of 0.127 mg/kg, median value of 0.059 mg/kg and P95 of 0.444 mg/kg. Furthermore, this study shows that DCM mass transfer rates from the coffee matrices into the corresponding beverages have for drip coffee an average of 24.7%, median of 26.8% and for French press average mass transfer of 41.9%, median of 43.1%.

Keywords: dichloromethane; decaffeination; roasted coffee; drip coffee; French press
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