Scientists from the UK and Japan have unravelled the sequence of genes that catalyse the production of caffeine in the tea plant (Camellia sinensis) and the coffee plant (Coffea arabica). If the genetic engineers can now “silence” or deactivate the offending gene, then the plants can be grown already decaffeinated.
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The discovery is a major breakthrough for those consumers who drink decaffeinated tea or coffee. Many currently available products have a slight chemical taste, left over when the caffeine-filled tea leaves or coffee beans are immersed in solvents, such as methylene, chloride or ethyl acetate, to remove the stimulant.
Caffeine can also be removed by immersing the plants in liquid, pressurised carbon dioxide, but this method is expensive.
