You may have been hearing and reading a lot about the safety of decaffeinated coffee in the news lately, including the claims that decaf is bad for you and the threat that decaf might even be banned in California and beyond! Rest assured; this won't apply to us. The Swiss Water® Process is, and has always been, a safer alternative to chemical solvent processes like Methylene Chloride, a known carcinogen recently banned by the EPA for most uses but which has a long history of being used to make decaf coffee cheaply. (You may have heard Methylene Chloride called the “European Method” as well.)
We don't use Ethyl Acetate either—a process often called EA Process or "natural" but which is made either from synthetic chemicals or sugarcane derivatives, and which is known to alter the flavor of the finished product. Avoiding adding chemical solvents to your decaf is exactly the reason our process was invented more than 40 years ago: to offer a choice that's both added-chemical-free and tastes better and more true-to-terroir than the rest.
The Swiss Water® Process uses only water, time, temperature, and a natural extract of coffee itself to push caffeine molecules out of the bean.
If you'd like to know more about how it works, we made a handy video:
If you’re looking for an easy way to identify decaf that’s chemical free and NOT made with methylene chloride, look for the Swiss Water® Process name or logo on the packaging or description. We’ve also put together a small list—only the beginning!—right here to help you ID some brands we work with that you may see where you live, or online:
Partner Brands With Swiss Water® Decaf Offerings
And if you live in the United States, we also have a decaf webstore you can shop from right now—including setting up your own Curated Decaf Subscription that lets you try a different chemical-free craft decaf at the frequency of your choice!
We’re also proud to say our method allows coffee to stay as close as possible in taste to its original state, while gently removing caffeine. In fact, our process is certified Organic and also allows a coffee's pre-existing certifications—like Organic, Kosher, Halal, Fairtrade, and Rainforest Alliance—to stay completely intact.
Furthermore, Our chemical-solvent-free process also allows us to return more than 80% of the beautiful British Columbia water we use to decaffeinate coffee back—clean—to local waterways. The cleanliness of our method also ensures the people who work in our facility aren't exposed to chemicals like Methylene Chloride and provides a safer environment both inside and outside our walls.
So whether you're looking for an exciting new decaf for your existing routine, or trying to bring on healthier habits, you can rest easy knowing our decaffeinated coffee isn't adding anything worrisome to the equation. With chemical-free alternatives like ours, you don’t have to worry about anyone “banning decaf coffee”—just remember to look for our name or logo, and sleep tight.
