Number
147-EN
Section
General Section
Use
Sector
Manufacture of food products
Function
Other
Process
Other
Product category
other
Application
Production of decaffeinated tea
Abstract
Decaffeination of tea can be made with supercritical carbon dioxide, providing high selectivity, good quality of treated product and being a safer alternative compared to other extraction agents like ethyl acetate.
Substituted substances
Ethyl acetate
CAS No. 141-78-6 EC No. 205-500-4 Index No. 607-022-00-5
Chemical group
Carboxylic acid esters
Classification: hazard statements
H225 Highly flammable liquid and vapour
H336 May cause drowsiness or dizziness
H319 Causes serious eye irritation
Alternative Substances
Carbon dioxide
CAS No. 124-38-9 EC No. 204-696-9 Index No.
Chemical group
Carbonyl compounds
Reliability of information
Evidence of implementation: there is evidence that the solution was implemented and in use at time of publication
Reason substitution
physical hazards
Hazard Assessment
Substance to be substituted: Ethyl acetate is not listed in the SUBSPORTplus Database. Alternative substance: Carbon dioxide is not toxic and has no harmonised classification according to Annex VI of Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 (CLP Regulation), but leakages in confined, unventilated spaces may be hazardous due to oxygen replacement. Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas and unless it is generated as by-product or recovered from a natural source, the technology may contribute to increasing the company's carbon footprint. It is not listed in the SUBSPORTplus Database.
Description of Substitution
Caffeine in tea may cause problems to persons that suffer from heart or blood pressure conditions. Ethyl acetate may be used as extracting agent since it has a low toxicity, but it is a highly flammable substance and also an eye irritant. Moreover, extraction of caffeine using ethyl acetate is not highly selective and partly eliminates useful polyphenols contained in tea. These polyphenols are known to have positive health effects like reducing plasma concentration of cholesterol, protecting against UV-induced inflammation and having antioxidant properties. Carbon dioxide can be used as an alternative, with lower hazards for safety and health and with better quality for the product. Supercritical carbon dioxide allows the extraction of caffeine down to a residual content of less than 0.4% without reducing the valuable antioxidants (polyphenols) or affecting tea specific flavour. Advantages The producer states the following advantages of tea decaffeination using supercritical fluid extraction with carbon dioxide: - Selective extraction of natural caffeine and preservation of valuable polyphenols (antioxidants) - Unaltered, rich tea aroma - No process-related solvent residue - inherent characteristic of carbon dioxide extraction process and technology - Worldwide marketing opportunities - no country-specific restrictions - Works with all tea types and leaf grades
Case/substitution evaluation
Decaffeination using carbon dioxide is technically superior to ethyl acetate, preserving tea flavour and healthy components. Ethyl acetate treatment makes the leaves more brittle and produces more dust, which increases the health and safety risk of the acetate that is flammable, irritant and causes drowsiness or dizziness.
State of implementation
In use
Availability ofAlternative
Alternative available on the market
Type of information supplier
Producer / distributor
Date, reviewed
November 26, 2021