Tea and Decaffeination Processing

I was taken by surprise when I recently read an excerpt from a newly released book, written by highly recognized tea industry professionals, that was clearly inaccurate when it came to the topic of decaffeination processing and tea. Decaffeination and tea is a subject that has long been misunderstood not only by consumers but also by industry professionals.
I began questioning my own information on decaf processing and decided the best thing to do was to verify what I believed to be true. I decided to talk with the definitive authority on the subject, Joe Simrany, President of the Tea Association of the USA, Inc (TAUS).
So what do those guidelines consist of? If that was unsuccessful the FDA would be notified and would follow up to see that the necessary changes to processing were made. The first line of defense is the TAUS, who would attempt to correct the issue diplomatically.

So what happens if a group is distributing "decaffeinated tea" that does not meet the standard? There is no sanction, legal or otherwise, for non-compliance. The FDA does not have its own set of guidelines but relies on the expertise of the Tea Association Technical Committee (TATC) for the best practices. Unlike what I thought, decaffeination processing is not regulated by the FDA and adhering to industry standards is completely voluntary. So here is what I learned.

I soon was relieved to learn that my critical information was indeed correct although some of the details need fixing.
The Guidelines
Teas labeled Decaffeinated will contain no more than 0.4% caffeine on a dry weight basis.
Caffeine Free Tea is an inappropriate labeling term for any tea regardless of the degree of decaffeination processing.
There are currently only 2 methods approved for decaffeinating tea leaves, solvent extraction using ethyl acetate and carbon dioxide in the supercritical state. Both are selective for extraction and create no toxicity hazard.
Carbon dioxide is considered the better of the two, keeping more of the benefits and flavor intact.
The Facts
Decaffeinated teas have between 1/3 and 2/3 fewer beneficial components than regular, non-decaffeinated teas.
Both ethyl acetate and carbon dioxide are considered, and subsequently labeled, "natural", because trace amounts of both components exist in the tea leaf, a fine line for many of us who rely on natural to mean exactly that.
"Water process" , aka Swiss Water Process, Natural Water Process etc, sometimes used on packaging, is not recognized by the industry as being anymore effective than pouring off the first brew at home.
While this does eliminate caffeine it is difficult to be sure just how much caffeine is still present and likewise how much health benefits. Then steep as you normally would. Decaffeinating at home by the "water process" would be done by infusing the tea leaves for 30 seconds and pouring off that infusion.
Tea bags will deliver more caffeine in your cup than loose teas because they infuse more quickly.
The amount of tea leaves used, brewing time and water temperature help determine the caffeine content in your cup.
Cultivation, environmental factors, region and growing conditions, while out of your control, do affect the caffeine content in your cup.
1 pound of coffee which yields 40-50 cups. The only time coffee has less caffeine then tea is prior to brewing, 1 pound of tea yields 200 cups vs.
The ONLY government approved decaffeination processing is ethyl acetate and carbon dioxide. Methylene chloride is NOT a guideline or government approved processing method in the United States.
While we have a limited selection of decaffeinated teas, we guarantee all of the decaffeinated teas sold by Teas Etc. Inc. are processed using carbon dioxide
In summation, with the growing public interest in issues surrounding health and food, accurate labeling is likely to become a major issue in the future. Be a wise consumer. Beware of slick marketing and misleading information. Most importantly drink good, quality tea everyday.
© 2006 Teas Etc., Inc
This article may be freely reprinted only in it's enterity and must include the resource box and copyright information.
Beth Johnston, owner of Teas Etc., is a noted tea expert, importer and tea enthusiast. To learn more about life style enhancement, health benefits and the ease of brewing loose leaf teas, sign up for our monthly newsletter at
http://www.TeasEtc.com/newsletter.asp
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Tea Tree Oil for Bad Breath

There is a tree native to Australia called the Tea tree, and an essential oil distilled from its leaves and stems appears to have a myriad of healthful uses - one of them is Tea tree oil for bad breath. It seems that people are using dental floss soaked in Tea tree oil, or adding a couple of drops to the toothpaste on a toothbrush. They say it works wonders.
If you have bad breath Tea tree oil may work because it has antibacterial properties, and the majority of cases of bad breath, particularly the nasty chronic kind, are caused by the activities of bacteria in our mouths. These bacteria break down proteins and produce bad smelling volatile sulfur compounds that are expelled in the breath. Tea tree oil for bad breath may work because the oil is toxic to the bacteria: they are fragile, and can be killed by drugs and chemicals.
If you do some research on Tea tree oil for bad breath, you will discover that the oil should not be taken internally - it is really not known what effect ingesting the oil may have, but it could be toxic. For cleaning the mouth and treating bad breath Tea tree oil should be used topically only - that is, you can apply small amounts to your teeth, but don't swallow! After brushing or flossing, spit out whatever is in your mouth, and rinse.
It should not be a problem to avoid swallowing any significant amount of the oil when you use Tea tree oil is the same.
In the end, if you decide not to use Tea tree oil for bad breath because of fears of toxicity, or for any other reason, there are other natural remedies for bad breath on the market that you might be more comfortable with. Investigate the ones that use an olive oil rinse to physically remove bacteria, or an oxidizing agent to kill them. These new approaches to the treatment of halitosis give us more choices than ever before - when it comes to natural remedies for bad breath Tea tree oil is far from the only thing.
R. Drysdale is a freelance writer with more than 25 years experience as a health care professional. She is a contributing editor to
Tea Tree Oil for Bad Breath
, a blog dedicated to the treatment of bad breath.