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Safe Decaf, and Why Choose Shade-Grown Coffee

posted by Annie B. Bond Nov 26, 1999 8:38 pm
Safe Decaf, and Why Choose Shade-Grown Coffee
54 comments

By Annie B. Bond, author of Home Enlightenment

You can help protect migratory birds’ winter home habitat by buying coffee made from shade-grown beans.

Usually organic, the coffee comes from farms that use the traditional under-tree growing style, rather than the more recent, pesticide-intensive sun-grown method that destroys bird habitats. Shade-grown coffee provides habitats for migratory birds in Central and South America and Indonesia, as well as providing the fuller flavor of beans that have been slowly ripened.

There are four ways to decaffeinate coffee. Two methods use solvents, one of which is a carcinogen and small amounts of which will remain in the beans.

Guide to decaffeinated coffee

There are four ways to remove the caffeine from coffee.

One way is “Swiss water processed,” using pure water, and is the purest method available.

Two methods of decaffeination use the solvents methylene chloride and ethyl acetate. These are the two solvents that have been approved for use in the United States by the FDA. Methylene chloride is a carcinogen. Ethyl acetate doesn’t pose any risk to the consumer.

The fourth method of decaffeination is water and carbon dioxide.

If the label says “naturally decaffeinated” it will mean it was decaffeinated by either the Swiss water processed method, or the water and carbon dioxide method. The only way to find out which method was used is to call the company. Decaffeinated coffee manufactured in the United States is, for the most part, done through water processing.

Note: Avoid bleached filters, which may contain small amounts of dioxin. Buy unbleached coffee filters or a rusable gold filter instead.

More on Green Kitchen Tips (52 articles available)
More from Annie B. Bond (3220 articles available)

54 comments

54 comments

add your comment »
54 Comments       add a comment »
Neelam Paanchali

Imagine your world with star world.
This may change ur mind http://www.heroesmindreader.com/?um=49

Suz D.
  • Suz D. says
  • Sep 21, 2007 9:12 AM

Nescafe Taster's Choice just confirmed to me that they use methylene chloride-and said it is cleaned from beans in process...RIGHT! I'm throwing out about $5.00 bucks worth now and doing my search for a safer product. We need to WAKE UP AMERICA...before we all die from processed foods before our time. Thanks Care2.

Gabrielle D.

Thank you for this!! I will definately try some!!!

Lee B.
  • Lee B. says
  • Sep 20, 2007 9:20 PM

As soon as I can find a place to buy some I will.

Pat H.
  • Pat H. says
  • Sep 20, 2007 9:07 PM

I've been buying coffee from Peace Coffee and Thanksgiving coffee. But now I buy coffee at the Waverly Farmer's Market. "Zeke's Coffee" has some what I call "3fers". Free trade, shade grown and organic. I told the guy that I will sometimes settle for two outta three, but a prefer 3fers... He does a good job of providing and I support the farmer's market. (the other stuff there is a story for another time...)

Fran Takacs

I wasnt sure how they decaffeinate coffee, but I do know it is not natural, so I alwasy stayed away, just drank less. I also do buy shade grown, fair trade. Tastes better, even my hubby says so, and he drinks grocery store stuff!

Ildi Paroczy

Thanks for the information on shade grown coffee and decaffienated coffee processes. i will certainly buy some. peace and love from ildi p.

Deborah Mccormick

THANKS FOR THE INFO!

Catherine Mc Manus

Thanks so much ! for the very educating coffee info that only takes moments to read and understand. I will definitely change coffee brands. Not just for my health but the environment too. When will American Coffee Sellers, grocery stores wise up.
************* WAKE UP AMERICA******************

Holy Holian

kind,
coffee sprouts is the way to go, the best, you'd never want to drink coffee again once you had a handful of coffee bean sprouts, that sprout like alfalfa sprouts you see in the market.

so clean, so beautifuly energizing & uplifting & kind alertness & increasing mental ability, with no side effects, such as shakes that can come from drinking brewed organic shade grown coffee. just eat more coffee sprouts, but drinking coffee has a limit, for coffee beans are roasted twice, 1st to get the shell off then to the type of darkness of roast you like, which they say dark roast is best medicinaly. sprouts in 1 week. no digestive enzymes killed at 116 degrees. no other sprout has been so effective i've found. its a secret the northerners don't know for coffee beans don't grow up north where it snows, coffee bushes up north, but not trees that harvest the coffee beans people drink. the problem is finding fresh raw coffee beans, for usually its illegal to import massive amount of seeds into a country. they grow like cherries, & along river banks in tropics where a pound is picked up where you stand, like cherries. like sugar cane stalks chewed on or juiced is 100% better nutrient wise then processed sugar, but northerners don't know cause sugar don't grow were it snows. fresh juiced sugarcane is a fountain of life bubbling up within into ones brain enlivening the brains mind like never before. nothing compares to sugarcane juice fresh squeezed. so too coffee beans sprouts. kind

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who's talking about this story?

  • Excerpt: [...] “your fix” responsible is using farmer and plant-friendly Fair Trade, organic, or shade grown–coffees. In addition to benefiting farmers, ...
  • Blog: Coffee 4 Life « Responsible Frugality
  • Tracked: Aug 21, 2008 12:09 pm

Disclaimer: Care2.com does not warrant and shall have no liability for information provided in this newsletter or on Care2.com. Each individual person, fabric, or material may react differently to a particular suggested use. It is recommended that before you begin to use any formula, you read the directions carefully and test it first. Should you have any health care-related questions or concerns, please call or see your physician or other health care provider.

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