General Foods Limited

Kraft General Foods, Inc.

Mark H Karmiol

Thomas H Parliment

Ronald Harry Skiff

Fredric Kleiner

Parviz Ghossi

Gary L Hickernell

David Nini

Bertrand J Hall

Malic acid is removed from coffee to provide a coffee product which will evoke a decreased gastric acid response after ingestion. Malic acid is removed by contacting an aqueous coffee extract, which may be a green or brown extract, with an ion exchange resin capable of exchanging malic acid in the extract. Demalation of a ready-to-drink coffee brew may be effected substantially immediately after preparation of the brew in a home brewer or the like. A malic acid-lean extract can be used to extract malic acid from coffee solids to produce demalated coffee solids. Demalation is preferably accomplished without removing excessive amounts of chlorogenic acid. Coffee products in accordance with the invention are preferably decaffeinated.

Removal of malic acid from coffee

Caffeine adsorbed on caffeine adsorbents is recovered by contacting the carbon with a solvent, preferably an aqueous solution of ethylene carbonate or propylene carbonate. The caffeine adsorbent is contacted with the solvent for a period time sufficient to remove at least a portion of the caffeine adsorbed thereon and then separated from caffeine-containing solvent. The caffeine may be recovered from the solvent by precipitation.

Recovery of caffeine from caffeine adsorbents

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Warwick, NY, United States of America

Mark H Karmiol