In conjunction with the annual SCAA 2014 Event in April this year, Swiss Water Decaffeinated Coffee Company (SWDCC) invited its customers to their operation plant in Vancouver, Canada.

As Bennetts is the exclusive distributor of SWISS WATER® Process products to the Australian market, we were eager to take the opportunity to attend an “access all areas” tour of the plant to see first-hand how the process works and find out where the industry is heading.

The research and development team at SWDCC have recently improved their decaffeination process in an effort to maintain as much of the original qualities of the green coffee bean. If you are a purchaser of SWISS WATER® Process green beans, you may have noticed these changes of late, both in the colour of the raw green beans and in the way they roast. Technically speaking, these improvements have come about from a more controlled and consistent process where key variables are being permanently and continuously monitored.

 A more gentle process has resulted in less physiological changes to the structure of the beans and better acids retention, which in turn maintains the colour, flavour and roast profile of the beans in line with their original pre-decaffeinated state.

The tour finished up with a comparative cupping session, highlighting the origin characteristics that remain in the cup post decaffeination. Seeing the decaffeination process first hand was exciting and informative, and Bennetts looks forward to being able to share our newly gained knowledge with Australian roasters and consumers.
To learn more about the Swiss Water Process and roasting Swiss Water Decaf, visit www.hab.com.au