Wake Up and Smell the Nauseating Coffee

jacobjyu writes "The NY Times is running a story about a coffee roasting plant being accused of polluting the air. The city inspector claims the smells are making people sick, however the plant owner retorts, 'This is not a smell that makes people sick ... This is one of those sweet smells like cut flowers, like fresh-baked bread, that's part and parcel of life in every city across the world.' Whatever the case, some people are claiming plastic-smelling fumes coming from the stacks: my only question is what the heck are they putting in this coffee??"

Comments

Decaffeinated

[Strange Ranger]

If they are using a chemical decaffeination process that would likely cause the stink.

The chemical solvent method is the most commonly used method for removing the caffeine from coffee. Common solvents include methylene chloride, ethyl acetate, and highly pressurized carbon dioxide. After the green beans are moistened they are then immersed in the solvent. After the solvent performs its action, the beans are rinsed with water. After the beans have been rinsed, they are steamed. Residual solvents evaporate in the steam. The rinsing and evaporation systems collect the solvent for recycling and re-use. Any remaining solvent will be burned off in the roasting process. The chemical caffeine method will remove 96 - 98% of caffeine.

Re:Decaffeinated

[Strange Ranger]

Actually I did RTFA and it only says they are not using plastics. I also visited his company's web site where they advertise decaffeinated coffee. And read the addendum to the decaffeination link I posted above that Schoenholt wrote himself. He advocates using Methylene Chloride.

"Methylene Chloride

Methylene Chloride is a synthetic chemical solvent. It is not naturally found but must be created by chlorinating methane gas. It sounds terrible but it makes very good tasting decaf.

About The Author:
Donald N. Schoenholt can be reached at:
Gillies Coffee Co.
America's Oldest Coffee Merchant
Toll Free: 1-800-344-5526
Fax: 1-718-499-7771"

Something tells me Methylene Chloride smells like plastic.

Simple simple simple--overexposure

[Stone Rhino]

I read this article in its hard-copy form earlier today. The simple thing is that exposure to anything for long enough will make you sick of it. I'm sure many /. readers have a game they love, but if they played it 24 hours a day and had to play the same level over and over, I think they would be sick of it too. Here, the people are just smelling coffee for hours on end, and while that may a pleasant or at least tolerable smell to you or I, to someone who deals with it for hours on end, it is a very different situation. As the article says, they even get these against Krispy Kreme donuts--and who doesn't love those?