There is something which keeps pricking every coffee lover around the world, and that is the presence of caffeine in it. Then, like all other crops, there might be toxic chemicals creeping into it from the artificial fertilizers and pesticides used. This keeps them from enjoying their cup to its full since they know very well that both caffeine and the chemical residues in coffee are harmful for health. But can we imagine coffee without caffeine and that too without fertilizers or pesticides used on it? Yes! We can. There is a coffee called Organic Decaf Coffee which comes with solutions to all your problems. It neither contains caffeine nor those toxic chemical residues discussed above. But how did such a coffee come into being? What exactly it is? Where is it available? There are several questions whose answers have to be found out. Let’s do it then! 

Organic Coffee: Most of you might be familiar with the term “Organic” and what it means. For those who are not, let me give you some hints. The most general interpretation of the recommendations, laid down by various governing agencies such as USDA or NPOP etc., necessary to be followed by a product for being labeled as organic is that it should neither contain any artificial or synthetic substances or chemicals (that means, no chemical fertilizers or pesticides can be used while growing them or no chemicals can be used while processing them) nor should it obtained from or contain Genetically Modified Organisms. Further, for products like coffee, the crop or the product can neither be treated with sewage sludge nor be subjected to any kind of radiations. They can neither be packed in such packets from which they are chemically contaminated (like metallic salts, colours and other chemicals from the pack dissolving into the contents. So, any coffee that fulfills above requirements can be called Organic Coffee. 

Organic Decaf Coffee: Organic Decaf Coffee stands for Organic Decaffeinated Coffee, which means an organic coffee from which caffeine has been removed. Now, this caffeine can be removed by any of the following methods, all of them not necessarily organic.

• Swiss Water Process: This is so far the only organic process for decaffeination of coffee. So, only the coffee decaffeinated this way can be called Organic Decaf Coffee. This process uses a lot of water. This process is basically same as that used for decaffeinating tea, i.e. the green coffee beans (roasted ones will not do) are repeatedly soaked in hot water and made to pass  through a carbon filter (made of charcoal which, you can say, is organic). This pulls out the caffeine from the raw beans but does not harm the flavour much, except in the first run, due to the carbon filter. This process is organic as well as it can remove above ninety nine percent of the caffeine from the beans since it is repeated several times.
  
  Note: You can also try decaffeinating the green coffee beans at home with a method close to Swiss Water Method discussed above; by repeatedly soaking the beans in hot water and then throwing the water away. The more you repeat, the more caffeine is removed. But this also robs the beans of their flavour quite considerably.
• Roselius’ Process: This is one of the oldest methods of decaffeinating coffee which involves treating the coffee beans with salt water and benzene. That is why; it cannot be called an Organic Process. Further, treating the beans with salt solution and benzene does great damage to their flavour and taste. The reason is obvious. 
• Industrial Process (Direct): This process is extensively used in coffee industries and this can be both organic and inorganic. In this process, the coffee beans are first treated with hot water and then with Methylene Chloride or Ethyl Acetate. Thereafter, the Methylene Chloride or Ethyl Acetate is dried and the coffee beans are again subjected to hot water. If this process involves Methylene Chloride, then the product turned out is invariably inorganic since Methylene Chloride can only be prepared artificially. But if the process involves Ethyl Acetate, then it gives Inorganic Decaf Coffee if the Ethyl Acetate used in it was synthetic (synthesized artificially) and Organic Decaf Coffee if that Ethyl Acetate was obtained from natural sources (it can be).
  Note: Check out the above fact carefully if you are buying Organic Decaf Coffee. Do not proceed if you are not sure.
• Industrial Process (Indirect): This process remains basically the same as Industrial Direct Process discussed above, with the difference that in this case the beans are not directly rinsed with Methylene Chloride or Ethyl Acetate. Instead, the beans are removed after being soaked in hot water and the water is then treated with any of these two compounds to remove the caffeine in it. This process too, can churn out Inorganic or Organic Decaf Coffee depending upon the type of Ethyl Acetate used in it.
• Carbon di Oxide Process:  In this process, already steamed coffee beans are either soaked (technically speaking, subjected to) in liquid Carbon di oxide (CO2 gas under high pressure liquefies) or Carbon di Oxide is passed at high pressure through water containing soaked beans and subjected to carbon (charcoal) filters. This method can be called organic because Carbon di Oxide is considered an organic gas (even if produced synthetically) scientifically. So, you can go ahead with this.
• Coffee Oil (Triglyceride) Process: In this process, the coffee beans are first soaked in hot water (some caffeine is removed first hand), removed, and then soaked in coffee oil. The triglycerides present in coffee oil pull out the caffeine from the surface of the beans (the caffeine surfaces due to action of hot water). Thereafter, the beans are removed and dried. This method preserves the flavour and the taste of coffee to a great extent. The oil left can be reused after removal of the caffeine from it. This method of removal of caffeine from the oil before reusing is what decides whether the coffee can be called organic or inorganic. If the oil is decaffeinated using chemicals (Methylene Chloride etc.), then it is no more organic. If some organic method like charcoal filters is applied for this purpose, then it can be called organic.
  
  Note: Check out the above fact carefully if you are buying Organic Decaf Coffee. Do not proceed if you are not sure.

Why Decaffeination? Caffeine is an external stimulating agent and can be harmful to health in the long run and in overdose. It can give birth to serious troubles like chronic headache, chronic fatigue, annoyance, lungs disorders, high blood pressure, nervous disorders, anxiety, insomnia, lack of appetite etc. Caffeine found in coffee is much higher than that in tea and hence it becomes important to decaffeinate it. Decaffeinated coffee lets you enjoy the remarkable flavour and taste of coffee without risking your health.

Benefits: Leaving that organic part (which is always beneficial and has no harm in itself), the Organic Decaf Coffee benefits you unless you drink too much of coffee everyday. Despite being decaffeinated (although the amount of residual caffeine depends upon the method used), there is still some caffeine left in the coffee and hence indiscriminate drinking can introduce the same amount of caffeine that you wanted to avoid each day. Say, ten to fifteen cups of highly decaffeinated coffee is equivalent to two cups of fully caffeinated coffee. So, it benefits you as long as it is drunk in moderation.

Drawbacks: Except a bit highly priced than normal coffee, it seems to have no demerits or disadvantages in itself. It is far healthier than normal coffee and it is environment friendly too, as no toxic chemicals (fertilizers, pesticides, weedicides, reagents etc.) are used in its production and processing. But, sometimes the method of decaffeination used may affect the taste and flavour adversely and many people are of the opinion that decaffeinated coffee does not taste good. This sounds true to some extent since it is evident that repeated treatment with hot water will drain out some natural oils, sugar, volatile oils and other ingredients from the beans along with the caffeine.

Availability: It is pretty good available these days. Still, if you are not getting it within your reach, then place an order on internet, but that after studying thoroughly about the certification for organic product, process of decaffeination used, manufacturing date etc.

Market: Both normal decaf and Organic Decaf Coffee have very good markets all over the world as lot many people prefer this for health reasons. This trend is growing.

Your Call: Drinking Organic Decaf Coffee and promoting it is beneficial, both in terms of health as well as for the environment. So, if you are a moderate coffee drinker, this coffee will surely do you a lot of good. If you are heavy drinker, then too, you will be benefitted from the organic part of the coffee, if not from the decaffeinated portion. So, enjoy it and encourage others to take up this healthy practice. Cheers!

This article was contributed by Aparup Mukherjee