Blue Mountain Decaf Coffee Launched

EVEN THOUGH some flavour will be lost, the unique characteristics of Blue Mountain Coffee, including the balance flavour, fair acidity and excellent aroma, will be retained in the recently launched Jamaica Blue Mountain Decaffeinated Coffee. That was the assurance from Senator Norman Grant, managing director and CEO of Mavis Bank Coffee Factory.

He was speaking at Tuesday's official launch of the speciality luxury decaffeinated brand, which was achieved through a non-chemical process for coffee drinkers who want an exciting cup of the beverage without caffeine.

The new product is the result of collaboration between Mavis Bank Coffee Factory, Blue Mountain Coffee Incorporated, Edgar Munn, who is the Untied States marketing agent, and Swiss Water Company out of Canada.

"Decaf enthusiasts will no doubt revel in the flavour and aroma of this brand. I call it Jamaica Blue Mountain without the edge, so hey, enjoy. Why should you be denied the exquisite pleasure of the finest coffee nature and man have yet to conjure," Senator Grant urged guests at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel, New Kingston.

In addition to the special Blue Mountain Coffee characteristics, the new beverage is also unique for the process used to make it decaffeinated. It differs from the chemical process used for most decaffeinated coffee in that hot water and steam are used to removed the caffeine from the beans. The 'life' of the bean is taken into the water and the water solution passed through activated charcoal filters to remove the caffeine.

Once the caffeine is removed, the beans are then put back into the decaffeinated solution to reabsorb everything, except the caffeine, before being dried and shipped to roasters.

pending restructuring

This is in contrast to the traditional decaffeinated process, which involves soaking the beans and then washing in methylene chloride to absorb the caffeine. Afterwards, the beans are rinsed clean of the chemicals and dried.

Senator Grant explained that although there is usually virtually no trace of the chemical left in the bean after roasting, some people are uncomfortable with the knowledge that coffee they are drinking was chemically processed.

Meanwhile, Agriculture Minister Dr Christopher Tufton used the occasion to advise his audience that the pending restructuring of the coffee industry will also signal a major change in the role of the Coffee Industry Board, which will see it being divested of some of its regulatory functions and focusing more on quality control.