Analysis of Caffeine Content in Decaffeinated and Non-Decaffeinated Coffee and Its Implications for Health

Abstract

Caffeine is the primary component of coffee that acts as a stimulant; however, excessive consumption may lead to adverse health effects, necessitating the development of low-caffeine coffee alternatives. This review aims to analyse the differences in caffeine content between decaffeinated and non-decaffeinated coffee and to identify processing factors that influence the effectiveness of caffeine reduction. The study was conducted through a literature-based analysis of various decaffeination methods, including boiling, hot-water extraction, organic solvent extraction, and CO₂ technology. This research employed a literature review approach by collecting and analysing data from peer-reviewed research journals. The reviewed literature encompassed studies on decaffeination methods, focusing on the development of both decaffeinated and non-decaffeinated coffee processing techniques. The results indicate that non-decaffeinated coffee contains approximately 1–4% caffeine, whereas decaffeination processes can reduce caffeine levels to 0.02–0.50%, depending on the method applied, solvent type, temperature, and treatment duration. Decaffeination at lower temperatures was found to better preserve chlorogenic acid, while higher temperatures resulted in greater caffeine reduction but led to a decrease in bioactive compounds. Organic solvent-based methods and CO₂ extraction were identified as the most effective approaches for reducing caffeine content to levels close to commercial standards. Future research is recommended to focus on optimising low-temperature and indirect extraction methods in order to maintain flavour quality while ensuring effective decaffeination.