A fungus, Paecilomyces canadensis NC-1, that decolorizes a coffee solu
tion was isolated by enrichment culture. This fungus decolorized a cof
fee solution by 79% under the optimal conditions. The larger molecular
weight fractions of coffee pigments were adsorbed to the mycelia, and
the autoclaved mycelia also adsorbed coffee pigments. This fungus dec
olorized such phenol-type pigments as those found in coffee and black
tea extracts.