Scoville scale Scoville Heat Units can be made by multiplying ppm H by a factor of 15" (modified to a factor of 16 by others). Another source using subjective assessment stated: "Conventional methods used in determining the level of pungency or capsaicin concentration are using a panel of tasters (Scoville Organoleptic test method). ... Pepper pungency is measured in Scoville Heat Units (SHU). This measurement is the highest dilution of a chile pepper extract at which heat can be detected by a taste panel (Bosland et al., 2007)." Since Scoville ratings are defined per unit of dry mass, comparison of ratings between
Scoville scale experienced with eating hot chilis. In the Scoville organoleptic test, an exact weight of dried pepper is dissolved in alcohol to extract the heat components (capsaicinoids), then diluted in a solution of sugar water. Decreasing concentrations of the extracted capsaicinoids are given to a panel of five trained tasters, until a majority (at least three) can no longer detect the heat in a dilution. The heat level is based on this dilution, rated in multiples of 100 SHU. A weakness of the Scoville organoleptic test is its imprecision due to human subjectivity, depending on the taster's palate and number of