Caffeine-free coffee tree discovered

BEIJING, June 24 (Xinhuanet) -- A Brazilian team has discovered a naturally caffeine-free coffee plant growing wild in Ethiopia, leading the prospect of a cup of freshly-ground arabica that will not keep people awake.

The team says they discovered three arabica coffee plants that do not produce caffeine in their leaves or beans among a batch of 6,000 wild samples originally collected in the late 1980s, CRIENGLISH.com reported Thursday.

The wild plants could be cultivated to produce their own caffeine-free beans, or could be cross-bred with other varieties of arabica coffee to introduce the natural caffeine-free trait into commercial crops.

About 10 percent of coffee consumed in the world is processed to remove caffeine, a natural chemical linked with heart palpitations, raised blood pressure, and anxiety.

But the decaffeination process also removes organic compounds that can affect coffee's taste and aroma.

XINHUA online