Decaffeination, The TEALEAVES Way

WHY WE USE THE SUPERCRITICAL CO2 DECAFFEINATION METHOD

Keep Your Tea Pure

HAVE NO FEAR, CHEMICAL-FREE DECAF IS HERE

But how are teas decaffeinated? For most standard decaffeinated teas, this process involves liquid chemicals that absorb caffeine. Consciously chemical-free, we invest in our process to ensure that our decaffeination method is as pure as can be.

As a luxury tea company of the highest standards, we refuse to cut corners. Driven by persistence and perfection, the integrity of our tea is paramount.

Aligned with our commitment to wellness and environmental responsibility, we carefully select, qualify, and test to keep your tea pure. We use a special decaffeination method for our teas, known as Supercritical CO2 Processing, which ensures that no chemicals seep into your tea, and the complex palate is preserved.

THE TEALEAVES APPROACH

CO2 Decaffeination Process

Using pure water from the mountains of British Columbia to remove caffeine, the distinctive palate of the tea is preserved, without the use of any chemicals. In this process, streams of heated CO2 are passed through the tea leaves after they have been pressurized with water. In turn, CO2 molecules bind to, and dissolve the caffeine. As a result, the delicious flavor molecules and desirable oils of the tea are left unaffected.

This Supercritical CO2 Decaffeination Process removes almost all the caffeine, up to 97%. Leaving ~3% caffeine as it is impossible to remove all traces of caffeine from tea leaves that are naturally caffeinated. This is why we use the term “Very Low Caffeine” on our decaf blends. “Caffeine-free” is a term that indicates there is naturally no caffeine present, which is the case for many herbal, tisane and botanical infusions (such as chamomile, peppermint, rooibos). If you are extremely caffeine-sensitive, those might be more sustainable options for you.