Pungency of chili products depends on the amount of capsaicinoids which are naturally present in bell peppers or chili peppers. The two main components, capsaicin (69%) and dihydrocapsaicin (22%), are almost twice as strong as the capsaicinoids nordihydrocapsaicin (7%), homodihydrocapsaicin (1%) and homocapsaicin (1%), which are smaller in comparison [1]. Therefore, only capsaicin and dihydrocapsaicin were studied to determine capsaicin levels in chili products
The pungency level of a pepper is measured in Scoville Units, defined by Wilbur Scoville. Scoville used a group of tasters to determine the dilution needed to remove the pungency from a sauce or food [2]. Pure capsaicin is rated at 16,000,000 Scoville units.
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