Scoville Heat Analysis

Back in 1912 Mr. Wilbur Scoville developed standardized method of evaluating the "heat" or pungency of chili peppers, the fruit of the Capsicum genus. His method, called the Scoville Organoleptic Test, required five trained tasters to taste a series of dilutions of the pepper in sugar water. The Scoville Heat Units (SHU) were determined when the tasters could no longer detect "heat" in the sugar water. There were a few problems with this method. It depended on human subjectivity. It required five people. It produced inconsistent results.

In the 1980's it became clear that a more accurate and reproducible method of determining "heat" in peppers and pepper products was necessary. Under the auspices of the American Spice Trade Association (ASTA), a new High Pressure Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) Method was adopted as ASTA Method 21.1. The HPLC measurement of capsaicin has evolved over the years as new and better instrumentation has allowed of greater accuracy of analysis. In 1996 AOAC issued Method 995.03: Capsaicinoids in Capsicums and their Extractives. In 1998, in a collaborative effort with AOAC, ASTA issued a revised method of analysis, ASTA Method 21.3 (HPLC Method). Using the revised method, the accepted pungency of pure capsaicin was re-stated from 15,000,000 to 16,000,000 SHU. AOAC revised its method to coincided with ASTA Method 21.3, in 1999, and in 2003 AOAC revised the method once more.

In today's marketplace, it seems that "Hot" is in style. With so much competition for this "hot" market, suppliers of peppers and their extractives such as oleoresin capsaicin, and their customers, the makers of "hot' sauces and salsas, need to maintain the same heat level in their products to meet consumer expectations. S & S Labs is very experienced in the HPLC Analysis of Capsaicin expressed as Scoville Heat Units. We provide accurate and timely Scoville Heat Analysis, with normal turn-around time of 3 working days. Same-day service may be available with special arrangement and pricing.

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