SWISS WATER® Process

Common Decaffeination Methods

There are two types of caffeine removal processes: Direct and Indirect.

The Direct Process uses solvents in the first two stages of decaffeination as the caffeine-absorbing agent. In effect, the solvent comes in direct contact with the coffee bean. The most widely used solvents are chemicals: methylene chloride or ethyl acetate. The SWISS WATER® Process is a direct method.

The Indirect Process uses chemicals, such as methylene chloride or ethyl acetate in the latter stages of the decaffeination process to remove the caffeine from the solvent.

It's important to know that decaffeination methods vary. How do you know how your coffee is decaffeinated? This is difficult unless the coffee package labeling identifies the method or process. Coffee brands using SWISS WATER® Process communicate their decaffeination choice by use of the SWISS WATER® Process seal or wordmark.

Decaffeination Standards

In the US, decaffeinated coffee has a guideline that requires 97% of the caffeine to be removed from a green coffee bean. Being a guideline, as opposed to a standard, provides roasters more flexibility in terms of the percent of caffeine removed. However, in Canada and the international community, 99.9% caffeine-free is the recognized standard for decaffeinated coffee based on the maximum allowable caffeine level remaining in a decaffeinated green coffee bean.

Coffee decaffeinated using SWISS WATER® Process undergoes regular caffeine level audits to ensure compliance to the 99.9% caffeine-free standard. We take pride in setting our own high quality standards and have a Certificate of Analysis (COA) for every batch of beans we decaffeinate.