Researchers in Japan say they have produced genetically modified coffee plants that produce coffee without caffeine but with just as rich a flavour as conventional coffee.
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Based at the Nara Institute of Science and Technology, the researchers say the caffeine content of the plants is lowered by up to 70%, which they claim indicates it will be possible to produce beans “intrinsically deficient in caffeine”.
Lead researcher Shinjiro Ogita and his team have been working on decaffeinated coffee plants for seven years. They estimate it will take another four to five years to ascertain the amount of caffeine in the bean.
The team used a technology called RNA interference to deactivate a gene involved in coffee synthesis in the plants, reported Reuters.
Caffeine content depends on the type of coffee, how it is brewed and the strength of the brew. Roast and ground coffee usually have more caffeine than instant. Robusta coffees have about twice as much caffeine as arabicas, the most popular brew.
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By GlobalDataA report on Ogita’s findings is published in Wednesday’s issue of the science periodical Nature.
