Process for the decaffeination of tea
AssigneeSKW Trostberg Aktiengesellschaft
InventorsHubertus Klima, Erwin Schutz, Heinz-Rudiger Vollbrecht
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Abstract
The present invention provides a process for the decaffeination of tea containing 15 to 50% by weight of water with moist carbon dioxide at 255 to 350 bar at 50.degree. to 80.degree. C. in a pressure vessel, subsequent separation of the caffeine from the carbon dioxide with the help of an adsorbent and recycling the caffeine-free carbon dioxide over the already extracted tea, wherein the adsorbent is distributed in the material to be extracted in an amount of from 5 to 40% by weight, referred to the dry weight of the tea.
Claims13
A process for the selective decaffeination of tea, comprising distributing in the tea, a charcoal adsorbing means operable to remove caffeine from solution in carbon dioxide;
- adjusting the moisture content of the tea to 15 to 50% by weight of water;
- extracting the tea containing 15 to 50% by weight of water in a single step with moist carbon dioxide at 255 to 350 bar and at 50.degree. to 80.degree. C. in a pressure vessel thereby to extract the caffeine into the carbon dioxide and remove the caffeine from the carbon dioxide into the adsorbent;
- and recycling the caffeine-free carbon dioxide over the already extracted tea and separating the carbon dioxide from the tea essentially without removing flavor, color or aroma from the tea.
The process of claim 7 further comprising separating the adsorbent from the tea after the extraction by means of cyclone separation, air sifting, sieve classification or electrofiltration.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.