REFINING
Our Services
Decaffeination, the production of natural caffeine, the purchase of green coffee, analytical and organoleptic quality controls, logistics services – everything from a single partner/provider.
Decaffeinated coffee and natural caffeine
We produce
for the best cup
of decaffeinated coffee
– every day
Expand your product portfolio with decaffeinated coffees and enable your customers to experience more carefree coffee enjoyment.
Our decaffeination processes leave all of the taste intact for coffee pleasure anytime. You choose your favorite decaffeination process and we cooperate closely with you to create products which allow your customers to experience the full delight of coffee while maintaining a caffeine-conscious lifestyle.
Every day – we work for purity: our natural caffeine
We use a complex process to refine the caffeine extracted from the green coffee beans during the decaffeination processes. Our pharmaceutical grade pure caffeine can be used in the production of soft drinks as well as medications and cosmetics, among other purposes.
Our Decaffeination Processes
Our decaffeination processes are designed to allow the true taste of the respective green coffee to remain intact. Therefore, as with regular coffee, both the quality of the green coffee that is processed, the blend and the roasting parameters are the critical factors that determine the quality of the end product.
Organic: Water process decaffeination
At the beginning of the water decaffeination process, the silver skins are loosened by treatment with steam and separated in the air countercurrent. Water is then used to extract the water-soluble substances, including caffeine, from the green coffee beans. The caffeine is extracted from the resulting suspension with the aid of activated carbon. The decaffeinated suspension is then returned to the beans, which have undergone intermediate drying. The final drying process reduces the water content of the coffee beans back down to the original level.
Water process decaffeination is certified organic (EU and USDA), kosher, and halal.
Selective: Ethyl acetate (EA) decaffeination
Ethyl acetate is a natural component of sugar cane, coffee, and fruits such as musk, strawberries and bananas, but is also produced synthetically. It is also used as a natural or artificial flavouring in food products.
Ethyl acetate is used in decaffeination because it is highly selective with respect to caffeine and can physically extract it from green coffee beans in a gentle, but targeted manner. To do so, the green coffee beans are first treated with steam to remove the silver skins. The water content of the beans is increased to open up the cell structure. Then the water-ethyl acetate-solution is used to selectively extract the caffeine from the beans in several steps, where the caffeine diffuses from the beans into the solvent-water-solution around it. Subsequently, steam is used to remove the remaining ethyl acetate from the beans, which are finally dried to their initial moisture content.
Efficient: Decaffeination with dichloromethane (DCM)
Decaffeination with dichloromethane, also known as methylene chloride, is a very common method for physically removing caffeine from green coffee beans. The advantage of DCM is that it is highly selective in extracting caffeine from the beans at relatively low temperature levels. This results in a gentle and energy-efficient caffeine extraction process.
First, the green coffee beans are treated with steam to remove the silver skins. The water content of the beans is increased to open up the cell structure. Then the water- DCM-solution is used to selectively extract the caffeine from the beans in several steps, where the caffeine diffuses from the beans into the solvent-water-solution around it. Subsequently, steam is used to remove the remaining DCM from the beans, which are finally dried to their initial moisture content.
Coffee selection
More enjoyment: Decaffeinated coffee
All green coffees can be decaffeinated. The caffeine content of Arabica coffees range from 1 to 1.5 %; Robusta coffees range from 2 to 2.5 %. This means that one kilogram of green coffee contains between 10 and 25 grams of caffeine. Because decaffeination is a physical process, the residual caffeine content can never be reduced to 0 %.
European and national regulations define the maximum residual caffeine content levels in decaffeinated coffees. In most European countries, the limit in roasted coffee is 0.1 % caffeine. In the USA, 97 % of the coffee has to be decaffeinated. In general, the residual amounts in our products are considerably less, so they provide a good way to increase daily coffee enjoyment.
In between: Partially decaffeinated coffee
Partially decaffeinated coffee is an exciting option for those who would like to reduce their intake of caffeine, but not completely. It is gaining attention as an interesting expansion of the roasters’ coffee range. We produce partially decaffeinated coffee with targeted reductions of the processing cycles in the decaffeination process. Working together with you, we can be flexible in how much we reduce the caffeine content of the coffee beans.
From origin: Colombian coffee
Traditionally, Colombia has been an origin country for premium coffees. Colombian coffees are known for their fine acidity, mildness in the cup, full body, and unique aromas. They are suitable for use as single-origin coffees and as a component in blends, and as a result, they have been of special interest to us for many years now. Since 2003, we have been a shareholder in Compañía Nacional del Café S.A., so we benefit from local coffee know-how and, at the same time, we can have an influence on sustainable development in coffee cultivation. This way, coffee expertise and responsibility go hand in hand at our company.
Taking responsibility: Certified coffees
We support measures that are aligned with sustainable cultivation practices oriented toward quality and that help improve both the commercial and social situation of the people in coffee cultivation countries. We offer a range of certified coffees that support these goals.
Comprehensive: Logistics
From origin to roasting plant – we are your reliable partner for the administration and coordination of your logistics needs. We work with only those logistics companies that ensure compliance with the required quality standards across the entire supply chain and offer our customers individual and environmentally conscious solutions. Müller Weser is our partner responsible for unloading, blending, and storing the green coffee that arrives in Bremen. By request, we also take care of customs clearance for you.
Reliable: Verified quality
Organizational and technical quality control principles are a central part of our business. These include regular process controlling, ensuring traceability and food safety, and an accredited, state-of-the-art laboratory for analytical controls. Accredited from the German national accreditation body (Deutsche Akkreditierungsstelle GmbH (DAkkS)) in accordance with DIN EN ISO 17025, our laboratory work is performed with technical competence in compliance with legal as well as normative requirements and in line with international standards. The DAkkS evaluates the quality of our work, our laboratory management system, the operating procedures and the competence of our technical staff.
The second pillar of our quality controls are organoleptic evaluations which ensure that our products meet the highest quality standards. With regard to cupping, we always align ourselves with the taste profiles required by our customers. Our team represents many years of experience and the coffee expertise of certified SCA Q Graders, prerequisites for assuring consistently high product quality.
