As a self-professed science geek who’s also a chilehead, I totally got into this next article. For those of you who have scratched your heads about how the food scientists come up with the Scoville numbers for all the capsaicin-laden stuff we eat, there’s some news worth noting. Check out this cool article from the Science Daily:

Source: Baylor University
Date: August 10, 2007

Just How Hot Is That Red Hot Chili Pepper?

Science Daily — Baylor University researchers have developed a new way to test the “heat” inside a habanero chili pepper. The relatively simple technique to analyze the active components in the pepper could provide quicker and more accurate information to the food preparation industry and to those wanting to utilize peppers for medical purposes, such as pain relief.

Capsaicinoids are the family of chemicals that give a pepper its spiciness. Capsaicin and dihydrocapsaicin are two members of the group that make up to 90 percent of the total capsaicinoid content found in the pepper. The exact amount of capsaicinoid content varies from pepper to pepper, giving each individual pepper a different degree of spiciness.

“Capsaicinoids are the active ingredient in pepper spray, tear gas and some arthritis medications, not to mention spices and foods like salsa, so a wide range of industries could find this new approach useful,” said Dr. Kenneth Busch, professor of chemistry and co-director of the Center for Analytical Spectroscopy at Baylor and a lead investigator on the project.

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