Green coffee bean extract is sold on its chlorogenic acids (CGA), the compounds that roasting destroys. A formula built on it makes three choices: the CGA grade, the caffeine profile and a process that keeps the CGA intact. Here is how to make each one.
CGA Grade and Method
Our grades are 45% and 50% total chlorogenic acids by HPLC. Representative batches tested at 46.8% and 51.2%. HPLC reports the individual caffeoylquinic acids and their total. Write the method and the CGA definition into your specification. See green coffee extract standardisation.
CGA from green coffee extract is absorbed. Farah and colleagues (Journal of Nutrition, 2008) recovered about a third of the ingested cinnamic acid moieties in plasma after a decaffeinated extract providing 170 mg of CGA.
Choose the Caffeine Profile
- Standard grades carry the bean’s natural caffeine. Declare it if your market requires it.
- Decaffeinated 45% for caffeine-free and evening products.
- Caffeine-controlled grades for energy products that need a set caffeine figure per serving.
If the formula already contains caffeine from another source, add up the total per serving before you choose.
Capsules and Tablets
The extract is a fine powder that fills well. Typical products use a few hundred milligrams of extract per serving. Keep it sealed, because CGA-rich powders can take up moisture and cake.
Drinks and Heat
Use the water-soluble grade for drinks, shots and effervescents. Chlorogenic acids are esters, and long heating or neutral to alkaline conditions can change their profile. Keep the process short and the pH acidic where you can.
Then measure total CGA in the finished product after processing and at the end of shelf life. That figure, not the raw-material figure, supports your label.
Taste and Colour
Green coffee extract tastes grassy and slightly bitter, not like roasted coffee. It gives drinks a yellow-brown tint. Citrus, berry and tea flavours sit well with it.
Choosing the Grade
| Grade | Typical use |
|---|---|
| Standard 45% CGA (HPLC) | Capsules, functional foods, blends |
| High potency 50% CGA (HPLC) | Higher-dose capsules |
| Decaffeinated 45% CGA | Caffeine-free and evening products |
| Caffeine-controlled 45–50% CGA | Energy formulas with a set caffeine figure |
| Water-soluble grade | Drinks, shots, sachets, effervescents |
Grades are on the green coffee bean extract page. To compare it with green tea, see green coffee vs green tea extract.
Green coffee extract with CGA and caffeine declared
Tell us the CGA grade, the caffeine profile and the format. We send the specification and a reference certificate.