Brazilian researchers want to make naturally decaffeinated coffee
Listen to the story (British accent)
A research institute in Brazil is working on creating coffee that naturally has less caffeine.
The researchers believe that this two-decade project could be very good for the coffee business.
The Instituto Agronomico de Campinas (IAC), a well-known coffee research center, is leading this project. They have already developed coffee plants that produce a lot of coffee beans, making Brazil a top country in the global coffee market.
Brazil supplies more than one-third of the world’s coffee.
The researchers at IAC are starting to test their new coffee plants in different regions. These plants were created by mixing different types of coffee plants that naturally have very little caffeine.
Some people might prefer this naturally low-caffeine coffee over the decaffeinated types available now, which are made using chemicals or industrial processes.
Companies that sell decaffeinated coffee could also benefit from this project. They might be able to save money because they wouldn't need to use those industrial processes anymore.
Julio Cesar Mistro, one of the researchers in charge of the project says the team is happy with the results they have seen so far.
The researchers have already planted some of these special coffee plants in different parts of Brazil. It takes about two to three years for the plants to grow and produce coffee beans.
In the United States, about 10% of the coffee consumed is decaffeinated, according to the National Coffee Association.
Vocabulary24 words
- Research institute
- A place where people do experiments and study things to learn new information
- Naturally
- Something that happens on its own without any help or changes; not affected by man, machines or unnatural processes
- Caffeine
- A chemical found in coffee, tea, and some sodas that can give you energy or make you feel awake
- Researcher
- a person who does research; a person who studies something to find new results
- Decade
- 10 years; a 10-year period
- Lead
- To be in charge or to guide others
- Develop
- to make into something more advanced; to improve; to grow something to become better
- Produce
- to create or make something
- Global
- related to the whole world; everywhere in the world
- Market
- the field/area/place of trade or business; the buying/selling of a specific product or service; a category of potential buyers
- Supply
- To give or provide something that is needed or wanted
- One-third
- ⅓; one piece of three; 33.33 %
- Test
- to do something to learn if it is safe, works correctly, etc.; try out
- Region
- a large area of the Earth; an area of land with similar qualities/characteristics
- Type
- kind; a category or classification of something
- Available
- able to be used: ready for use; accessible
- Chemical
- any basic substance that is used in or produced by a reaction involving changes to atoms or molecules
- Industrial process
- The way things are made or done in factories
- Benefit
- to get an advantage; to gain something positive; to have a good effect
- In charge of
- To be responsible for or in control of something
- Result
- outcome; findings; conclusion; answer;
- Plant
- to put a plant into the ground or into a container of soil so that it will grow
- Consume
- to eat, drink, or use something up
- Accordingto
- as ‘someone’ said; as stated by ‘someone’; in the opinion of ‘someone’
Discussion questions
- What do you think about the idea of developing coffee with naturally lower caffeine content? Would you be interested in trying it? Why or why not?
- Do you believe that decaffeinated coffee is a popular choice among consumers? Why do you think some people prefer decaf?
- In your opinion, should companies selling decaffeinated coffee focus on promoting natural low-caffeine coffee if it becomes available? Why or why not?
- How important is the taste of coffee to you? Would you be willing to try different types of coffee with varying caffeine levels if the taste remains good, or is caffeine an important part of coffee for you?
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