Mass Transfer of Dichloromethane from EU Retail Roast and Ground Decaffeinated Coffee into Prepared Beverages

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 gr...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Massimiliano Fabian, Oliver Süße-Herrmann, Gregory McGaffin, Johannes Hielscher
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2024-10-01
Series:Proceedings
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2504-3900/109/1/33
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1850085168630464512
author Massimiliano Fabian
Oliver Süße-Herrmann
Gregory McGaffin
Johannes Hielscher
author_facet Massimiliano Fabian
Oliver Süße-Herrmann
Gregory McGaffin
Johannes Hielscher
author_sort Massimiliano Fabian
collection DOAJ
description 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 six 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 analysed 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% and median of 26.8%, and for French press, an average mass transfer of 41.9% and median of 43.1%.
format Article
id doaj-art-b4b50212e8a8495b867f14078d04db57
institution DOAJ
issn 2504-3900
language English
publishDate 2024-10-01
publisher MDPI AG
record_format Article
series Proceedings
spelling doaj-art-b4b50212e8a8495b867f14078d04db572025-08-20T02:43:47ZengMDPI AGProceedings2504-39002024-10-0110913310.3390/ICC2024-18166Mass Transfer of Dichloromethane from EU Retail Roast and Ground Decaffeinated Coffee into Prepared BeveragesMassimiliano Fabian0Oliver Süße-Herrmann1Gregory McGaffin2Johannes Hielscher3Demus S.p.A., via Caboto, 31, 34147 Trieste, ItalyCR3-Analytik GmbH & Co. KG, Waterbergstraße 14, 28237 Bremen, GermanyCoffein Compagnie GmbH & Co. KG, Sebaldsbrück 7, 28309 Bremen, GermanyDeutscher Kaffeeverband e.V., Steinhöft 5–7, 20459 Hamburg, GermanyDichloromethane (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 six 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 analysed 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% and median of 26.8%, and for French press, an average mass transfer of 41.9% and median of 43.1%.https://www.mdpi.com/2504-3900/109/1/33dichloromethanedecaffeinationroasted coffeedrip coffeeFrench press
spellingShingle Massimiliano Fabian
Oliver Süße-Herrmann
Gregory McGaffin
Johannes Hielscher
Mass Transfer of Dichloromethane from EU Retail Roast and Ground Decaffeinated Coffee into Prepared Beverages
Proceedings
dichloromethane
decaffeination
roasted coffee
drip coffee
French press
title Mass Transfer of Dichloromethane from EU Retail Roast and Ground Decaffeinated Coffee into Prepared Beverages
title_full Mass Transfer of Dichloromethane from EU Retail Roast and Ground Decaffeinated Coffee into Prepared Beverages
title_fullStr Mass Transfer of Dichloromethane from EU Retail Roast and Ground Decaffeinated Coffee into Prepared Beverages
title_full_unstemmed Mass Transfer of Dichloromethane from EU Retail Roast and Ground Decaffeinated Coffee into Prepared Beverages
title_short Mass Transfer of Dichloromethane from EU Retail Roast and Ground Decaffeinated Coffee into Prepared Beverages
title_sort mass transfer of dichloromethane from eu retail roast and ground decaffeinated coffee into prepared beverages
topic dichloromethane
decaffeination
roasted coffee
drip coffee
French press
url https://www.mdpi.com/2504-3900/109/1/33
work_keys_str_mv AT massimilianofabian masstransferofdichloromethanefromeuretailroastandgrounddecaffeinatedcoffeeintopreparedbeverages
AT oliversußeherrmann masstransferofdichloromethanefromeuretailroastandgrounddecaffeinatedcoffeeintopreparedbeverages
AT gregorymcgaffin masstransferofdichloromethanefromeuretailroastandgrounddecaffeinatedcoffeeintopreparedbeverages
AT johanneshielscher masstransferofdichloromethanefromeuretailroastandgrounddecaffeinatedcoffeeintopreparedbeverages