What is SHU?
The Scoville Heat Unit (SHU) is a unit of measurement used to determine the heat level of a chili pepper or spicy food. It is based on the concentration of capsaicin, the chemical compound responsible for the spicy heat in peppers. The higher the concentration of capsaicin, the higher the SHU rating. For example, a bell pepper has a SHU rating of 0, while a habanero pepper has a rating of 100,000-350,000 SHU. The SHU scale was developed by pharmacist Wilbur Scoville in 1912 and is still used today as a standard method of measuring the heat level of chili peppers and spicy foods.
There are three ways to measure Scoville Heat Unit (SHU): panel testing, HPLC and FoodSense
Panel Testing
To measure the SHU of a pepper or food, a solution is made by diluting the pepper or food in water. This solution is then tasted by a panel of tasters, and the concentration of capsaicin is estimated based on the level of heat that is perceived by the tasters. The SHU is then calculated based on this concentration.
The SHU scale ranges from 0 (no heat) to over 1 million (extremely hot). Some common peppers and their corresponding SHU levels include:
Bell pepper: 0 SHU
Jalapeno pepper: 2,500-8,000 SHU
Habanero pepper: 100,000-350,000 SHU
Ghost pepper (Bhut Jolokia): 855,000-1,041,427 SHU
The SHU measurement is not an exact science, as it is subjective and can vary based on the sensitivity of the tasters and other factors. However, it is widely used as a standard measurement for the heat of peppers and spicy foods.
HPLC Testing
The Scoville Heat Unit (SHU) is a measure of the spicy heat of a chili pepper or other spicy food. It is measured using High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC).
In the HPLC process, a sample of the spicy food is ground up and mixed with a solution. This mixture is then injected into a column filled with a stationary phase, which separates the different components of the mixture. The spicy compounds in the food, such as capsaicinoids, are then detected using a special detector.
The SHU is then calculated based on the concentration of the capsaicinoids in the sample. The higher the concentration, the higher the SHU.
Though HPLC is thought to be a precise and accurate method for measuring the SHU, and is commonly used by food manufacturers and spice companies to determine the heat level of their products, the reality that the same sample when sent to differnet laboratories an come back with different results
FoodSense
FoodSense is the most modern, fastest and easy to use method for determining the hotness of chillies and chilli products. The device is more objective than panel testign and a fraction of the cost and time of HPLC testing.
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