Decaf or not decaf? Gov't to change coffee regulations starting in 2028.

Your decaf coffee may not be as caffeine-free as you think — but that will change soon under stricter new labeling standards announced Tuesday.

Starting from 2028, regulations governing coffee will allow drinks to be labeled decaf only if they contain 0.1 percent of their original caffeine content.

Under current rules, coffee products can be labeled decaffeinated if more than 90 percent of their caffeine has been removed. However, coffee beans that naturally contain high levels of caffeine can still leave relatively high amounts of residual caffeine even after decaffeination.

The current standard has created confusion among consumers who expect decaffeinated coffee to contain little to no caffeine.

For example, if two coffee products each remove 90 percent of caffeine, a coffee that originally contained 200 milligrams of caffeine would still retain 20 milligrams after processing, while another containing 100 milligrams would retain 10 milligrams. The difference in residual caffeine is twice as much. 

To reduce consumer confusion, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety clarified that decaf labeling standards will now be based on the percentage of caffeine removed from the coffee beans themselves.

Under the revised rules, products can only be labeled decaffeinated if the coffee beans used contain 0.1 percent or less of their original caffeine content. The new standard, introduced in line with overseas regulations such as those in the United States, will take effect on Jan. 1, 2028.

The Food Ministry also strengthened labeling requirements for collaboration products involving alcohol brands following a rise in alcoholic beverages packaged in containers and designs resembling ordinary food products.

Under the revised rules, such products must display the words “alcohol” or “liquor” on the front label in a font size of at least 20 points that clearly contrasts with the background color.

“The latest revision is expected to improve the reliability of decaffeinated coffee labeling and reduce the possibility of consumers mistaking alcoholic beverages for ordinary food products,” the ministry stated.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.

BY JUNG JONG-HOON [[email protected]]