Green coffee bean extract is bought for its chlorogenic acids, but unroasted beans contain caffeine too, and extraction carries some of it into the powder. So yes, standard green coffee bean extract has caffeine. How much depends on the grade, and a decaffeinated grade exists for formulas that must stay caffeine-free. Here are the figures, and how to turn them into milligrams per serving.
Caffeine by Grade
| Grade | Caffeine specification | Per 200 mg of extract | Per 400 mg of extract |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard grades: 45% and 50% chlorogenic acids | Not more than 5.0%, declared per batch | Up to 10 mg | Up to 20 mg |
| Reference batch: 45% grade, 46.8% CGA (CoA SVB-COA-GC45-0526-01) | 3.6% found | 7.2 mg | 14.4 mg |
| Decaffeinated 45% grade | 0.5% or less | Up to 1 mg | Up to 2 mg |
| Reference batch: decaf 45% grade, 45.9% CGA (CoA SVB-COA-GCD45-0326-01) | 0.4% found | 0.8 mg | 1.6 mg |
The per-serving figures are arithmetic. Multiply the milligrams of extract per serving by the caffeine percentage and divide by 100. Use the specification limit when you set a label figure with a safety margin. Use the batch result on the certificate when you need the actual figure for a lot. A caffeine-controlled grade with a defined target is also available for formulas that declare a precise total.
Why the Figure Varies
The species matters first. Robusta (Coffea canephora) beans naturally carry more caffeine than arabica (Coffea arabica), as surveys of both species’ accessions have shown (Ky and colleagues, Food Chemistry, 2001). Most commercial green coffee extract is made from robusta. Next comes the process. Water and water-ethanol extraction carry caffeine into the extract with the chlorogenic acids, and any purification step toward a higher chlorogenic acid figure can raise or lower it. That is why caffeine is a separate specification line. You cannot read it off the chlorogenic acid percentage.
How Caffeine Is Measured
Caffeine is measured by HPLC with UV detection. ISO 20481:2008 is the international HPLC method for caffeine in coffee and coffee products, and its scope includes green coffee and decaffeinated products. Ask that the certificate name the method, and that caffeine is reported from the same HPLC run as the chlorogenic acids where the laboratory does both. For how the chlorogenic acid figure itself is measured, see green coffee extract HPLC standardisation.
Intake Reference Points
The European Food Safety Authority’s 2015 scientific opinion on the safety of caffeine reached three conclusions:
- Single doses up to 200 mg raise no safety concern for healthy adults.
- Habitual intakes up to 400 mg a day raise no safety concern for healthy adults.
- For pregnant women, intakes up to 200 mg a day raise no concern for the foetus.
At the standard-grade limit of 5.0%, 200 mg of caffeine would take 4 g of extract. Supplement servings are far smaller. In practice the caffeine figure matters for three things: the label, “caffeine-free” or evening-use positioning, and combination products that already contain caffeine from another source, where the totals add up.
Choosing a Grade
- Standard grade where some caffeine is acceptable or wanted, as in energy and pre-workout blends.
- Decaffeinated grade for caffeine-free positioning, evening formulas or consumers who limit caffeine. The chlorogenic acid specification stays at 45%.
- Caffeine-controlled grade where a combination product needs a precise total caffeine per serving.
All three are specified on our green coffee bean extract page, with caffeine reported on every certificate. For specification and documents more broadly, see the green coffee bean extract buyer’s guide. If you are choosing between the two caffeine-bearing extracts, compare them in green coffee vs green tea extract and caffeine in green tea extract by grade.
Green coffee bean extract with the caffeine declared
Tell us the chlorogenic acid grade, the caffeine limit you need and the quantity. We send the specification and a reference certificate.