This decaffeination process utilizes a naturally occurring compound, ethyl acetate (EA) to decaffeinate coffee. It is often called sugarcane decaf because the EA used in this process can be derived from molasses (a byproduct of sugar production). Since EA is naturally-occurring, the process is labeled as “naturally decaffeinated.” The EA process is relatively simple. The coffee beans are moistened with water and EA is circulated throughout. The EA binds with the caffeine in the bean and extracts the caffeine while leaving most of the other flavor compounds. After the desired caffeine level is reached, the EA residue on the beans is removed by steaming them.