Hot news from Campden
A new method to rate the chilli heat of products such as ready meals and cooking sauces has been developed by Campden BRI.
The calibrated method uses the company’s trained panel of taste testers to provide retailers and manufacturers with a consistent way to rate their products as mild, medium, hot or very hot.
Ingredients and even the colour and texture of a product will influence the perception of hotness, all factors which have been taken into account to provide a reliable heat rating for food products.
“Many manufacturers display a graphic on a product’s packaging, with a number of chillies to show consumers how spicy it will be,” says Josefine Hammerby, sensory descriptive projects manager at Campden BRI.
“However, it can be difficult to get consistent results across a range of products. Our new method gives manufacturers and retailers confidence that they are providing consumers with accurate and consistent information about the chilli strength of their products.”
