Chilli Powder and Flakes: ASTA Colour, Pungency and Contaminant Screening for Buyers
Buyer’s snapshot
- Regulation (EU) 2023/915 caps dried chilli (Capsicum spp.) at 5.0 µg/kg aflatoxin B1, 10.0 µg/kg total aflatoxins and 20 µg/kg ochratoxin A (EUR-Lex, 2023).
- ASTA revised its HPLC pungency method (21.3) in 2026. The new SHU figure is 0.9431 times the 2004 figure, so a contract that cites “ASTA 21.3” without a year hides a gap of about 5.7%.
- Sudan I to IV are not authorised food additives in the EU, and samples examined in EU member states in 2003 carried up to 3,500 mg/kg in chilli powder (BfR, 2003). Screening belongs in every chilli RFQ.
- Silk Route Ventures (SRV) supplies chilli powder, crushed chilli, flakes and whole dried chillies from a 100 kg per SKU first order, with free samples (you cover the courier).
- The RFQ template table below is the section to forward to procurement.
Most chilli RFQs fit on one line: “Red chilli powder, hot, good colour.” That line gives a supplier no colour unit, no pungency method, no mycotoxin limit and no position on adulteration, so every quotation that comes back is a guess at a different spec. This primer sets out the lines a US or EU buyer should write into a chilli powder or flakes RFQ, what each test actually measures, and where contracts quietly disagree with the reference methods.
What does ASTA colour measure in chilli powder?
ASTA Method 20.1 measures extractable colour by reading the absorbance of an acetone extract at 460 nm (ASTA, 2026). The result is reported in ASTA colour units, and a second scale, IC colour, equals the ASTA figure multiplied by 40 (HunterLab, 2026). If a quotation says “colour 8,000” with no scale, the buyer cannot tell whether that is a deep oleoresin-grade ASTA value or a modest IC value.
Colour is a pigment test, not a heat test. A mild, deeply coloured chilli and a hot, pale one can sit at opposite ends of both scales, which is why the two numbers have to be specified separately. Extractable colour also falls with age, light and heat, so the spec should state the figure at packing and the sample COA should be dated.
The practical rule: do not invent a colour floor from a competitor’s brochure. Ask for the ASTA value on the sample lot, write a floor 10 to 15% below it into the contract, and name the method and the scale. A floor set from a real lot is one the supplier can meet every month. A floor copied from a paprika spec invites a rejection dispute on the first container.
How is chilli pungency measured, and what changed in 2026?
Pungency comes from the capsaicinoids. ASTA Method 21.3 is the preferred HPLC method for crushed red pepper and chilli powder, and it reports Scoville Heat Units (SHU) as the sum of the three major capsaicinoids: nordihydrocapsaicin, capsaicin and dihydrocapsaicin (ASTA, 2026). Capsaicin and dihydrocapsaicin carry a heat factor of 16.0 million SHU per gram, nordihydrocapsaicin 9.3 million, so one mg/kg of capsaicin equals 16 SHU. A lab reporting capsaicinoids in mg/kg and a lab reporting SHU are saying the same thing in different units.
On 1 March 2026 ASTA issued a revised Method 21.3 that updates the response factor for capsaicin, using averages from five laboratories, and corrected the conversion equation on 23 April 2026 (ASTA, 2026). The result: SHU by the 2004 method equals SHU by the 2026 method divided by 0.9431.
That detail changes contracts. A lot that reads 50,000 SHU under the 2004 method reads about 47,155 under the 2026 method. A buyer holding a 50,000 SHU floor from an older spec, and a supplier whose lab has moved to the 2026 method, will see a “failed” lot that is the same product. The fix costs one clause: name the method with its year.
Spec snapshot: dried red chilli powder, RFQ baseline
Forms: powder, crushed, flakes and whole dried chillies
Colour: ASTA 20.1, floor set from the sample COA, scale named (ASTA units)
Pungency: ASTA 21.3 (2026) HPLC, reported as total capsaicinoids and SHU
Mycotoxins: aflatoxin B1 5.0 µg/kg, total aflatoxins 10.0 µg/kg, ochratoxin A 20 µg/kg maximum
Adulteration: Sudan I, II, III and IV absent, method and reporting limit stated
Origin of the chilli: declared per lot on the COA and dossier
First order: 100 kg per SKU; samples free for evaluation (you cover the courier)
Which contaminant limits apply to dried chilli in the EU?
Regulation (EU) 2023/915 sets the maximum levels, and dried chilli sits in the same spice group as pepper, nutmeg and turmeric for aflatoxins (EUR-Lex, 2023). The table below lists the lines that matter for a chilli RFQ. Check the consolidated text for your shipment date, as the annex has been amended.
| Contaminant | Maximum level for dried chilli | Where it sits in 2023/915 | What it means for the RFQ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aflatoxin B1 | 5.0 µg/kg | Item 1.1.14 | Test per batch, not per container |
| Sum of aflatoxins B1, B2, G1, G2 | 10.0 µg/kg | Item 1.1.14 | Report both lines on the COA |
| Ochratoxin A | 20 µg/kg | Item 1.2.18 | Separate from the aflatoxin test |
| Lead | 0.60 mg/kg (fruit spices) | Item 3.1.12.2 | Metals panel on every batch |
| Benzo(a)pyrene / sum of four PAHs | 10 / 50 µg/kg | Item 5.1.10 | Applies to dried spices other than smoked Capsicum |
Values from Regulation (EU) 2023/915, Annex, as retrieved 19 October 2026. The ochratoxin A limit for Capsicum spp. dates from Regulation (EU) 2022/1370, applied since January 2023 (Eurofins, 2023).
The mycotoxin lines are the ones that decide whether a lot is shipped or destroyed. Mould grows during slow or damp drying, and a lot can be clean on the spec sheet and fail at the border. Request water activity alongside moisture, and agree the sampling plan in writing, because mycotoxins sit in a few contaminated particles rather than spread evenly through a bag. A single grab sample from the top of a pallet proves little.
How should an RFQ screen for illegal dyes?
Sudan I, II, III and Sudan IV (Scarlet Red) are industrial dyes, and they are not authorised as food additives in the EU. When Germany’s BfR published its opinion in November 2003, the samples examined in EU member states carried between 2.8 and 3,500 mg/kg of these dyes in chilli powder (BfR, 2003). The dyes intensify red colour, which is exactly the parameter a buyer is trying to pay for.
That history explains the standing caution in chilli tenders: colour is the line a dye can fake. A powder with unusually high extractable colour and a weak capsaicinoid result deserves a dye test before it deserves a purchase order. That is a cross-check, not a regulatory test, but it costs little and it catches the lot that looks too good.
The clause should name the four dyes, the method (HPLC is normal), the reporting limit and the frequency. “Free from illegal dyes” is not enforceable. “Sudan I, II, III and IV not detected at a reporting limit of 0.5 mg/kg, per batch, by HPLC” is.
Buyer’s checklist: the RFQ template for chilli powder and flakes
- Product form named per line item: powder, crushed, flakes or whole, with particle size or mesh for ground lines
- Colour: ASTA 20.1, floor taken from a sample COA, scale named
- Pungency: ASTA 21.3 with the year, total capsaicinoids in mg/kg and SHU both reported
- Aflatoxin B1 and total aflatoxins, ochratoxin A: limits per Regulation (EU) 2023/915, tested per batch
- Sudan I, II, III and IV not detected, method and reporting limit stated
- Heavy metals panel including lead, plus pesticide residues for the destination market
- Moisture and water activity, each with a method and a maximum
- Origin of the chilli declared per lot, with a statement on any blending of origins
- One Certificate of Analysis per production batch, with the sampling plan attached
Flakes, crushed or powder: how do the specs differ?
The three forms carry the same contaminant limits but different physical lines. Powder is bought on colour, mesh and pungency, because fine grinding releases pigment and spreads heat evenly through a sauce or seasoning blend. Crushed chilli keeps seeds and skin, so its heat comes from both skin and seed. Flakes are lighter, scatter easily and are sold on appearance, so the contract should name flake size and a tolerance for fine dust.
| Parameter | Chilli powder | Crushed chilli | Chilli flakes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main buying line | ASTA colour, mesh | Pungency, seed content | Flake size, appearance |
| Typical use | Curry pastes, sauces, snack coatings | Pizza and pasta toppings, pickles | Table condiment, noodles, rubs |
| Sampling concern | Homogeneity after milling | Seed to skin ratio | Dust fraction |
| Colour test | ASTA 20.1 on the ground lot | ASTA 20.1 on ground sub-sample | ASTA 20.1 on ground sub-sample |
Colour and pungency are always tested on a ground sub-sample, so say so in the RFQ.
A buyer who changes form midway through a programme, for example moving from powder to crushed, should re-run the sample stage. The same chilli ground differently can read a different ASTA value, and a spec written for one form does not transfer cleanly to another.
What to ask for on the first sample request
For a first sample, ask for the form you will actually buy, request the COA lines above (colour, capsaicinoids, aflatoxins, ochratoxin A, Sudan screen, metals, moisture and water activity) and compare them on a single page before setting floors. Ask where the chilli was grown. The honest answer is on the dossier for the lot, and an answer that changes between samples is information in itself.
Silk Foods Ceylon (SFC) runs its spice line at 100 to 200 kg per hour, roughly 1 to 2 tonnes a day, at the Matale facility. The first-order minimum is 100 kg per SKU, applied per product, not per order. A buyer taking chilli powder, crushed chilli and flakes needs 300 kg across the three lines. Production lead time is 2 to 3 weeks from PO to dispatch for standard SKUs, with sea freight adding 3 to 4 weeks to the EU or 4 to 5 weeks to the US.
Where SRV’s pricing doesn’t fit. Lowest-shelf chilli powder bought on invoice price per kilogram, where the buyer does not test for mycotoxins or dyes and needs no batch documents. That brief is better served by a commodity trader. SRV is built for buyers who put the test lines above in the contract and want each batch documented.
Frequently asked questions
What are the EU aflatoxin limits for chilli powder?
Regulation (EU) 2023/915 sets dried chilli at 5.0 µg/kg for aflatoxin B1 and 10.0 µg/kg for the sum of aflatoxins B1, B2, G1 and G2 (EUR-Lex, 2023). Ochratoxin A is capped separately at 20 µg/kg. Request both results on every batch COA, since each is tested by a different method.
Which ASTA method measures chilli pungency?
ASTA Method 21.3 is the preferred HPLC method, and it reports SHU as the sum of three capsaicinoids (ASTA, 2026). The 2026 revision updated the capsaicin response factor, so SHU by the 2004 method equals SHU by the 2026 method divided by 0.9431. Always cite the year in the contract.
How do I screen chilli powder for Sudan dyes?
Name Sudan I, II, III and IV in the RFQ, require an HPLC test per batch and state the reporting limit. samples examined in EU member states in 2003 carried up to 3,500 mg/kg in chilli powder (BfR, 2003). A high ASTA colour paired with a weak capsaicinoid result is a flag that justifies the test.
What is the MOQ for private-label chilli powder from SRV?
SRV supplies chilli powder, crushed chilli, flakes and whole dried chillies from the SFC facility in Matale at 100 kg per SKU for a first order, with volume breaks at 500, 1,000 and 2,500 kg. Private label packing is available in kraft pouches and spice bottles, and samples are free for evaluation (you cover the courier).
How Silk Route Ventures can help
Silk Route Ventures supplies chilli powder, crushed chilli, flakes and whole dried chillies to specialty spice brands, sauce makers and ingredient buyers in the US, EU and Australia. Lots are packed against the buyer’s spec at the BRCGS and FSSC 22000 V6 audited Silk Foods Ceylon facility in Matale, with a Certificate of Analysis available on request. First-order MOQ is 100 kg per SKU, production lead time is 2 to 3 weeks from PO to dispatch for standard SKUs (4 to 6 weeks for private label, custom specifications and organic orders), and samples are free for evaluation, shipped by international courier (DHL, FedEx, UPS) with you covering the courier. Contact us to send an inquiry or request a sample pack. Buyers building a wider range can start with our range of Ceylon spices for B2B buyers.
Further reading on this blog
- Ceylon black and white pepper spec primer: piperine, ASTA and MOQ
- How to write a spice RFQ: specs, certifications and MOQ questions
- Per-lot heavy metal and pesticide testing: how to read a COA
- Turmeric curcuminoid spec: matching origin to label claim
- Traceability depth and COA cadence: a compliance primer for buyers
- The B2B buyer’s guide to Ceylon spices in 2026
Sources
- EUR-Lex, Commission Regulation (EU) 2023/915 of 25 April 2023 on maximum levels for certain contaminants in food. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32023R0915 (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- American Spice Trade Association, “ASTA Analytical Methods, Method 21.3 (2026): Pungency of Capsicums and Their Oleoresins (HPLC Method)”, revised April 2026. https://astaspice.org/ (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- American Spice Trade Association, “ASTA Method 20.1: Determination of Extractable Color in Capsicums and Their Oleoresins”. https://astaspice.org/resources/asta-method-20-1-determination-of-extractable-color-in-capsicums-and-their-oleoresins (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- HunterLab, “ASTA Color and IC Color of Paprika and Oleoresin Spices”. https://www.hunterlab.com/en/blog/asta-color-and-ic-color-of-paprika-and-oleoresin-spices/ (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- Eurofins, “Maximum levels for ochratoxin A in food”. https://www.eurofins.com/en-de/food-testing/news/maximum-levels-for-ochratoxin-a-in-food/ (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), “Dyes Sudan I-IV”, November 2003. https://mobil.bfr.bund.de:443/cm/349/dyes_sudan_I_IV.pdf (retrieved 19 October 2026)
Written by the Silk Route Ventures Trade Team. Silk Route Ventures (E-Silk Route Ventures (Pvt) Ltd) is a Sri Lankan B2B supply-chain operator for the Food, Beverage, Wellness and Nutraceuticals sectors. The Silk Foods Ceylon manufacturing arm holds BRCGS and FSSC 22000 V6 certifications. Questions or to request a sample: Contact us or email info@esilkroute.com.lk.