One such article, typical of the others that appeared, was published in the Los Angeles Times, November 21, 2005, titled "A Jolt to Decaf Drinkers" by Thomas H. Maugh II. In the content of the article, it noted that the study was based on a group of 187 people who were asked to drink regular coffee, decaffeinated coffee or no coffee at all for three months. The decaf used in the study contained Robusta coffee, and left the impression that most decaf coffees contain Robusta, which is not the case as far as specialty coffees are concerned. Whether or not the regular coffee used in the study included Robusta wasn't mentioned. No mention of the type of decaffeination process used was made.

Ironically, (Incredibly!) at the end of this article the researcher, Dr. H. Robert Superko, concluded that the possible health effects between decaf and non-decaffeinated coffee were not statistically significant, stating, "I don't think there is a health threat." Another physician agreed, and was quoted as saying that this study "would not affect my recommendations to patients." Even so, the news about this study was picked up by many wire services and online newsletters, twisting it even further, with headlines like "Decaf Coffee - Bad for Your Heart." Believe it or not, "Decaf Kills" appeared on one web site!

We feel that these sensational articles, reporting on research that may be flawed or incomplete, can harm the reputation and business of decaffeinators and their customers; everyone's conception of the benefits that decaf coffee offers are negatively effected. Given the kind of misinformation contained in these articles we feel strongly about setting the record straight. According to all the information available to us now, there is NO health hazard in drinking decaf coffee - even the researcher who wrote the study in question agrees!

Drawing on his experience as a grower in his native Jamaica, John Martinez, together with his wife Melanie, came up with a unique marketing concept - offering premium "estate" coffees and establishing J. Martinez & Company, Coffee Merchants in 1988. Up until then, outlets for estate coffees were rare and connoisseurs in North America and Europe generally had to be satisfied with knowing only the country of origin and, perhaps, the region within the country where the coffee was grown. Martinez identified estates where a combination of soil, climate, topography and cultural practices gave the beans a taste and aroma as distinctive as those of a fine burgundy. J. Martinez & Company serves as a 'negociant' to the coffee estates it selects in the same way that 'negociants' represent the top wine growers of France.

Mrs. Martinez told us “We chose Swiss Water to decaffeinate our coffees because we felt their 100% chemical free process matched the purity and value of our premium estate coffees.” As Mr. Martinez always said, “Coffee is man’s most affordable luxury.”

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To order the tape, which is available in rolls of 500, contact Nicole Charles (ncharles@swisswater.com or toll-free 1.800.667.6181 ext. 145). Licensed Vendors can order on-line from our website, item #123 in the POS Order Center.

For those not familiar with our Licensed Vendor Program, the program provides registrants with access to free, premium POS, access to our logo and trademark, and registration in our on-line retail locator search engine - directing consumers seeking SWISS WATER® Process decaf to your brand or retail outlet. To register, please visit our website (www.swisswater.com) or contact Nicole.