초록 ▼

An improved extract decaffeination process. Roast coffee extract is contacted with a water-immiscible organic solvent to form decaffeinated extract and caffeine-containing spent solvent. The spent solvent is contacted with water to form decaffeinated spent solvent and caffeine-containing spent water

An improved extract decaffeination process. Roast coffee extract is contacted with a water-immiscible organic solvent to form decaffeinated extract and caffeine-containing spent solvent. The spent solvent is contacted with water to form decaffeinated spent solvent and caffeine-containing spent water. The spent water can be concentrated to a caffeine content of from about 7 to about 30% by weight. The caffeine in the concentrated spent water can be crystallized out and then separated from the residual spent water. The noncaffeine solubles present in the residual spent water can then be recovered.

대표청구항 ▼

A decaffeination process which recovers 90% or more of the caffeine from a coffee extract, which comprises the steps of: (a) contacting roast coffee extract with ethyl acetate solvent to form decaffeinated extract and a caffeine-containing solvent phase; (b) contacting the caffeine-containing solven

A decaffeination process which recovers 90% or more of the caffeine from a coffee extract, which comprises the steps of: (a) contacting roast coffee extract with ethyl acetate solvent to form decaffeinated extract and a caffeine-containing solvent phase; (b) contacting the caffeine-containing solvent phase with water to form an aqueous caffeine-containing phase and a decaffeinated solvent phase; (c) crystallizing caffeine in the aqueous phase by cooling the aqueous phase, concentrating the aqueous phase, or a combination thereof; (d) separating the crystallized caffeine from the residual aqueous phase; and (e) recovering noncaffeine solubles from the residual aqueous phase in an amount of about 80% or more based on the non-caffeine solubles present in the aqueous caffeine-containing phase of step (b), by adding the residual aqueous phase to the coffee extract of step (a).