THE PRESENT INVENTION PROVIDES A PROCESS FOR EXTRACTING CATECHINS FROM PU-ERH TEA LEAVES USING CO₂ AS AN EXTRACTION SOLVENT AND ETHANOL AS A CO-SOLVENT. THE PRESENT INVENTION ALSO PROVIDES A SUPERCRITICAL FLUID EXTRACTION SYSTEM FOR EXTRACTING CATECHINS FROM TEA LEAVES, MORE PARTICULARLY FROM PU-ERH TEA LEAVES. FIG 2(IF ONE FIGURE IS DESIGNATED FOR PUBLICATION AT THE FIRST PAGE)