Abstract: Moistened black tea is decaffeinated using carbon dioxide as a solvent. The mixture consisting of caffeine, water, aroma constituents and gaseous carbon dioxide obtained in the course of the purification of the carbon dioxide (prior to recirculation of the latter) is removed from the separation tank and separated by raising the temperature at atmospheric pressure into an aqueous caffeine solution and a gaseous aroma fraction. The emanating carbon dioxide transports the aroma components, after a dew point depression by lowering the temperature, to decaffeinated, dried tea, to which the aroma constituents are impregnated.

Abstract: There is provided a novel procedure for the extraction of a high proportion of the potential bitterness resins from hops by extracting the hops with super critical carbon dioxide at pressures of about 100 to 300 bar temperatures above 100.degree. C.