The Coffee Lovers’ Question: Is Decaf Safe During Pregnancy?

Sadly, caffeine is on the list of no-nos in pregnancy. At the very least, it is something to cut back on.  For many of us the daily ritual of coffee is more than just that little kick you need to put the pep back in your step, but it is also is a nice break from the day.  I for one love a latte, cappuccino or anything flavored with pumpkin spice! During pregnancy, the obvious move is to order decaf or half-caf instead of your full shot. But does this make it a guilt free coffee indulgence or could it be just as bad, if not worse, than its caffeinated counterpart? What I found was quiet alarming, and that is that some decaf coffee has not been decaffeinated in a safe way for pregnant women or nursing mothers. Let me summarize what I’ve discovered so that if you do choose to indulge you can find out what is safe and what is not.

What Qualifies as Decaf?

In order for coffee to qualify as decaf, it must have at least 97% of its caffeine removed. A few different techniques are available to do this; some are safe and some are not. Knowing which method your favorite coffee house uses is imperative.

Coffee beans are decaffeinated by softening the beans with water and using a substance to extract the caffeine. Water alone cannot be used because it strips away too much of the flavor. Substances used to remove the caffeine may directly or indirectly come in contact with the beans, and so the processes are referred to as direct or indirect decaffeination.

Different Methods for Decaffeination

In “Indirect decaffeination”, green (unroasted) coffee beans are soaked in water to soften them and extract the caffeine. Then the water containing the caffeine is treated with a solvent. This is then heated to extract the caffeine from the solvent, and then the water (with essential coffee bean oils and other flavors) is returned to the beans. The flavors in the water are reabsorbed by the beans. This process repeats several times until the beans contain the rich coffee flavors and essential oils without the caffeine at which point they are dried and roasted. This process is called “indirect decaffeination” because the beans never touch the solvent themselves.

The most widely used solvent today is ethyl acetate, a substance found in many fruits. When your coffee label states that the beans are “naturally decaffeinated,” it is referring to this process, specifically using ethyl acetate. Although it doesn’t sound like a natural process, it can be labeled as such because the solvent occurs in nature. Other solvents have been used, some of which have been shown to be harmful. One, methylene chloride, has been alleged to cause cancer in humans and therefore is not often used. Back in the 1970s, another solvent, trichloroethylene, was found to be carcinogenic and is no longer used.

Another indirect method soaks the green coffee beans in water to soften them and remove the caffeine, and then runs the liquid through activated charcoal or carbon filters to decaffeinate it. Then the flavor containing fluid is returned to the beans to be dried and roasted. This charcoal or carbon process is often called “Swiss water process.”

A direct decaffeination process involves the use of carbon dioxide as a solvent. The coffee beans are soaked in compressed CO2, which removes 97 percent of the caffeine. The solvent containing the extracted caffeine evaporates when the beans return to room temperature.

Ask Your Barista!

Concern over the safety of decaffeinated coffee stems from solvents used in the processes, particularly in the past. If your coffee is labeled naturally decaffeinated or Swiss water processed, you can be assured that no harmful chemicals are used. If your coffee is labeled differently or your favorite barista has no idea what you are talking about, it’s best to skip the afternoon break and just go with a muffin!

I am now the crazy lady that runs around town quizzing every barista I can get my hands on, asking, “Is your decaffeinated coffee Swiss water processed or naturally decaffeinated? What? You don’t know, well young man it’s about time I educate you on why this is important for you to know”.

I think it drives my husband bonkers but I can feel safe and secure indulging in a nice warm brew while I’m pregnant, knowing that my baby is completely safe from harm…. and that my lovelies are worth some bonkers!

Tags: decaf, decaf coffee, drinking coffee while pregnant, pregnancy