What testing methods determine the heat level of Oleoresin Capsicum (OC)?
Originally the testing method was basic and subjective as the product was a culinary item and test-tasting methods were used. Later a sophisticated analytical chemistry method was developed. In 1912, a pharmacologist named Wilbur Scoville developed a test method called the Scoville Organoleptic Test to calibrate the hotness or ‘piquancy’ of chili peppers according to the Scoville Scale . The subjective methodology uses a panel of five taste testers to rate the heat level on a scale using Scoville Heat Units (SHU). The Testers would chew samples and determine a SHU level. This method was only as accurate as the tasting subjects could agree upon. In 1996, a quantitative analysis testing method by the American Organization of Analytical Chemists (AOAC) was developed; AOAC Official Method 995.03: Capsaicinoids in Capsicums and Their Extractives, Liquid Chromatographic Method (HPLC). In 1998, the American Spice Trader Association (ASTA) in conjunction with the AOAC adopted another test: AST
