Challenges in quality and safety analysis of fresh chili and powder thereof.

Throughout the world, chili and chili powders are spices of considerable economic importance. Rocoto (Capsicum pubescens R. & P.) is a chili pepper used in Andean cuisine. Fresh chili is perishable and therefore it is convenient to protect the capsaicin, color and other bioactive compounds through preservation methods such as encapsulation. The present study systematically evaluates the technical and environmental aspects of producing encapsulated Rocoto red chili powder using three different wall materials—maltodextrin, rice protein and rice flour—in conjunction with two drying methods, namely convection drying and vacuum drying. Our technical objectives focused on developing an encapsulated product with high heat and vibrant red color, key attributes that significantly influence consumer purchasing behavior. In addition, the study aimed to mitigate the loss of polyphenols, flavonoids and antioxidant activity. After identifying the optimal conditions for each wall material and drying process, a comprehensive environmental assessment was conducted to identify the most efficient and sustainable production methods. The results demonstrate that rice flour encapsulation (20%) in conjunction with hot air drying (40 °C) represents the most efficacious method for the preservation of chili powder’s pungency. This approach resulted in a mere 24% reduction in Scoville units while maintaining the powder’s vibrant red coloration. This method not only preserved key bioactive compounds, including capsaicin, polyphenols and flavonoids, but also significantly enhanced the antioxidant capacity of the product. From an environmental perspective, this approach offers significant sustainability benefits, reducing the overall environmental impact by approximately 72% compared to vacuum drying of unencapsulated chili. The use of rice flour as an encapsulant aligns with sustainability goals, making it the most efficient option for balancing product quality and environmental performance.

Efficacy of sodium metabisulphite for control of Aspergillus flavus and aflatoxin B1 contamination in vitro and in chilli powder and whole red chillies

Processing fresh chili into various chili products can generate added value. This study aims to assess the added value gained by processing fresh chili into its products and its challenges. Primary data was obtained through interviews using a structured questionnaire with the management of KWT Intan in Ciwidey, Bandung, which processes fresh chili into dried chili, chili powder, and chili sauce (sambal). This research was conducted in October 2019. Added value was calculated quantitatively using the Hayami method. The results show that the added value generated from processing fresh chili into dried chili is 17,743 IDR/kg, chili powder is 71,053 IDR/kg, and sambal is 326,128 IDR/kg. The results indicate the greatest added value obtained by processing fresh chili into sambal, which is a final product. However, developing the added value of chili products faces some challenges. The utilization of facility assistance and human resource skills is still limited, while consumers still prefer to consume fresh chili than processed ones. In an effort to increase the added value of chili and improve farmers' income, the government is expected to provide relevant regulations and assistance in the form of processing facilities and infrastructure as well as training, socialization, and promotion.

为了有效监测农药在蔬菜水果中的残留水平，降低样品基质对目标物的干扰，本研究建立了羧基化多壁碳纳米管（MWCNTs-COOH）改进的QuEChERS联合GC-MS/MS技术对蔬菜水果中34种农药及代谢物残留的高通量检测方法。通过优化前处理过程及色谱、质谱分析条件，确定了蔬菜水果中34种农药及代谢物的最佳检测条件。具体方法如下：蔬菜水果样品经研磨粉碎，加入陶瓷均质子及QuEChERS EN-提取包，振荡离心后，取上清液转移至添加10 mg MWCNTs-COOH的净化管中，振荡离心后取2 mL上清液氮吹至近干，用含有内标的乙酸乙酯复溶，样品经0.22 μm尼龙微孔滤膜过滤后，经Agilent HP-5MS UI气相色谱柱（30 m×0.25 mm×0.25 μm）程序升温分离，GC-MS/MS多反应监测（MRM）模式检测，基质匹配内标法定量。在优化的实验条件下，34种农药及代谢物在相应的线性范围内呈良好的线性关系，相关系数均大于0.997 4，此方法具有较低的检出限（LOD：0.023～0.817 μg/kg）和定量限（LOQ：0.077～2.696 μg/kg）。在低、中、高3个加标水平下，34种农药及代谢物的加标回收率为78.9%～104.5%，相对标准偏差（RSD）为1.0%～7.8%。本方法净化效果显著，准确高效，适用于蔬菜水果中多组分农药及代谢物残留的检测。

The purpose of this research is to investigate the fluoride contents in the chilies from southwest China and other countries in order to calculate the difference in fluoride levels in the fresh chilies. The standard method in China for analysis of fluoride in food (GB/T 5009.18-2003) was applied to determinate the fluoride content in chilies. By determining the fluoride content in 176 fresh chili samples from 77 counties in southwest China and 31 chili samples from other countries, the research not only aims to find the regularity of fluoride distribution in fresh chili, but also to determine the origin of fluoride in fresh chili in China compared with the foreign samples. The geometric mean of fluoride content in the fresh chili was 8.9 mg kg(-1) (dry weight, 176 samples, confidence level: 95%). According to the study on the contents of fluoride in fresh chili, it seems that the fluoride content standard for vegetables in GB2762-2005 in China is inappropriate for chili, and 24.7 mg kg(-1)(dry weight) and 5.2 mg kg(-1) (fresh weight) in recommend as the fluoride contaminated discrimination values for fresh chili.

Chillies and chilli-based products are important spices on a global basis. The production, processing, transport and storage phases of chillies are prone to infection byAspergillus SectionFlavi and contamination with aflatoxins (AFs), especially aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) for which legislative limits exist in many countries. We have examined the effect of the interacting abiotic factors of water availability (water activity, aw; 0.995-0.850 aw) and temperature (15-37 °C) on (a) lag phases prior to growth, (b) growth, (c) AFB1 production and (d) contour maps of optimum and boundary conditions for colonisation and toxin production by threeAspergillus flavus strains on a 10% chilli-based medium. Additional studies with whole red chillies +A. flavus conidial inoculum on AFB1 contamination during storage for 10-20 days at 30 °C were also carried out.In vitro, the lag phases before growth were delayed by lower temperatures (15, 20 °C) and aw levels (0.928-0.901 aw). There was no statistical difference in growth between the three strains. Optimal growth was at 37 °C and 0.982 aw with no growth at 0.85 aw. Optimal temperature × aw conditions for AFB1 production were at 30 °C and 0.982 aw with no statistical difference in production between strains. No AFB1 was produced at 15-20 °C at 0.901 and 0.928 aw levels, respectively.In situ studies withA. flavus inoculated whole red chillies at 0.90 and 0.95 aw found that this species became the major component of the total fungal populations at 30 °C after 10-20 days storage. AFB1 contamination was above the European legislative limits (5 μg/kg) for spices at 0.90 aw after 20 days storage and at 0.95 aw after 10 and 20 days. This suggests that storage conditions of ≥0.90 aw, especially at ≥25-30 °C represents a significant risk of contamination with AFB1 at levels where rejection might occur, even after only 10-20 days storage.

Aflatoxin B1, a major global food safety concern, is produced by toxigenic fungi during crop growing, drying, and storage, and shows increasing annual prevalence. This study aimed to detect aflatoxin B1 in chili samples using ATR-FTIR coupled with machine learning algorithms. We found that 83.6% of the chili powder samples were contaminated with Aspergillus and Penicillium species, with aflatoxin B1 levels ranging from 7.63 to 44.32 μg/kg. ATR-FTIR spectroscopy in the fingerprint region (1800-400 cm-1) showed peak intensity variation in the bands at 1587, 1393, and 1038 cm-1, which are mostly related to aflatoxin B1 structure. The PCA plots from samples with different trace amounts of aflatoxin B1 could not be separated. Vibrational spectroscopy combined with machine learning was applied to address this issue. The logistic regression model had the best F1 score with the highest %accuracy (73%), %sensitivity (73%), and %specificity (71%), followed by random forest and support vector machine models. Although the logistic regression model contributed significant findings, this study represents a laboratory research project. Because of the peculiarities of the ATR-FTIR spectral measurements, the spectra measured for several batches may differ, necessitating running the model on multiple spectral ranges and using increased sample sizes in subsequent applications. This proposed method has the potential to provide rapid and accurate results and may be valuable in future applications regarding toxin detection in foods when simple onsite testing is required.

Hot pepper is widely used as seasoning on Asian countries. Especially, South Korea has various kinds of hot pepper food product such as various Kim-chis, hot pepper pastes, soups, and other dishes. Those contain sliced or powdered hot pepper to enhance hotness in dishes. As Korean food getting popular in world wide, the content of hotness needs to be measured and controlled. Capsaicinoids is a chemical material which contributes to hotness of pepper. Quantitative analyze method on capsaicinoids needs extraction, separation, and HPLC (high performance liquid chromatography) analysis. It is time consuming, expensive, and expert needed method which is not appropriate to apply during online food process. Therefore, to analyze in easy and fast way, near-infrared analysis on capsaicinoids from hot red pepper was conducted. 14 kinds and 10 of each kind of red hot pepper, totally 140 samples were powdered and sieved into 500um particle. Those of half were mixed with seeds and the other was not. Reflectance (892~1695nm) spectrum of those powder were acquired with specially made probe holder. Capsaicinoids' concentration was analyzed conventional method. Data preprocessing such as baseline correction and 1st derivative were conducted before PCR (principal component regression) and PLSR (partial least square regression) analysis and cross validated. Determination coefficient of validation showed 0.9702 and 0.9029; SECV as 23.65 and 43.05 respectively to PCR and PLSR.

Objective To determine the distribution and influencing factors（dehydration method, storage time and chili varieties） of arsenic contents in chilies from southwest China, and the relationship between arsenic content and selenium content in chilies. Methods There were 272 dried chili samples, 76 groups of fresh chili samples and its corresponding soil samples, which were collected from the markets and peasant households in 76 counties of 9 regions in southwest China, and 36 dried chilies from other regions in China and abroad as a comparison. Their dehydration methods and storage time were investigated. The chilies were classified by Bailey Criteria. Arsenic content and selenium content in chilies were determined with hydride generation atomic fluorescence spectrometry. Arsenic content in soils were determined with water bath hydride generation atomic fluorescence spectrum. Results Their ranges of arsenic content in dried chili and fresh chili were 0.2 - 16 637.3,0.2 - 295.8 μg/kg, respectively. The median of arsenic content in the dried chili was 106.9 μg/kg while it was 0.2 μg/kg （dry weight） in the fresh chili. The chilies median arsenic of different drying methods and storage time, in order were： the furnace-dried stored for more 1 than year（ 197.3 μg/kg）, the sun-dried stored for more than 1 year （130.7 μg/kg）, the furnace-dried stored for less than 1 year（94.1 μg/kg）, the sun-dried stored for less than 1 year （55.5 μg/kg）. The arsenic content of different kinds of solar-dried chilies and roast chilies were different. In solar-dried chilies, the median of arsenic contents from a order of high to low sequences were cluster chili （101.5 μg/kg）, cherry chili （95.6 μg/kg）, corn chili （86.8 μg/kg）, and long chili （47. 1 μg/kg）; in roast chilies, the median of arsenic contents from a order of high to low sequences were cherry chili（275.5 μg/kg）, cluster chili （173.0 μg/kg）, corn chili（ 164.3 μg/kg）, and long chili（ 136.8 μg/kg）. The medians of chilies from other regions of China and Turkey were higher than that of southwest China, their median were 125.8,112.3 μg/kg, respectively;the medians of chilies from America, France, and other countries were lower than that of southwest China, their median were 29.4,54.1,85.3 μg/kg, respectively. There was no significant correlation between fresh chilies and its corresponding soil arsenic（r = 0.010, P 〉 0.05）. There was a significant positive correlation between the amount of arsenic and selenium in chilies（r = 0.616, P 〈 0.05）. Conclusions The arsenic of dried chilies from southwest China was higher than that of fresh chilies. The arsenic of chili was different with different dehydration methods and storage time. There was a significant positive correlation between the amount of arsenic and selenium in chilies. Key words: Arsenic ; Capsicum ; Selenium ; Soil

Breeding for capsaicinoid content is one of the major objectives for chile pepper breeding programs due to its culinary, agricultural, and medicinal uses. The objectives of the current study were to determine the Scoville Heat Units (SHU) of select New Mexico State University (NMSU) chile pepper varieties and ‘superhot’ genotypes using high-performance liquid chromatography, and to verify the feasibility of using capsaicinoid content as a taxonomic indicator for the ‘superhot’ varieties. Significant variation (P < 0.001) for fruit heat level across the different growing seasons was observed. In the 2013 trial, ‘Trinidad Moruga Scorpion’ showed the highest mean SHU (∼1.41 million) among the ‘superhot’ varieties evaluated, although not-significantly different with that of the ‘Carolina Reaper’ (∼1.34 million). ‘NuMex Heritage Big Jim’ had a higher SHU (1759) compared to ‘NuMex Joe E. Parker’ (875) in the 2018 growing season. In the 2019 trial, ‘NuMex Sandia Select’ (7696) was observed to have a significantly greater mean SHU compared to ‘NuMex Heritage Big Jim’ (1581). The NMSU varieties have mild to moderately hot heat levels reflecting the current efforts to breed for less heat, but more flavorful and complex heat profiles for increased consumer acceptance. Using SHU exclusively was not able to discriminate the superhot cultivars for taxonomic purposes. Overall, diversity in terms of SHU for several cultivated and ‘superhot’ lines of chile peppers grown in New Mexico was observed. Information from this study could serve as a basis for future genomics-assisted breeding for the genetic improvement of heat levels of chile peppers in New Mexico.

Mycotic contamination and aflatoxin potential of molds in Capsicum annum (chili), and chili powder commercialized in south Indian markets

Determination of pungency in spicy food by means of excitation-emission fluorescence coupled with second-order chemometric calibration

Peppers are significant crops frequently used in cooking or as spice. Numerous phytochemicals, including capsaicinoids, phenolics, and carotenoids are found in peppers. Capsaicinoids are responsible for the distinctively pungent flavor. A comparative study of the proximate, mineral, fatty acid composition, and phytochemical components of 15 types of pepper spices (1 Isot Pepper Flake, 4 Chili Powders, and 10 Chili Pepper Flakes) were investigated. Analysis of the proximate composition included moisture content (6.54-19.49%), ash content (6.53-22.48%) and acid insoluble ash content (0.41-1.12%). Total phenolic content ranged from 9.72 to 20.05 mg GAE g-1. The lowest and highest capsaicinoid content were found in S15 (10247.6 Scoville Heat Unit (SHU)) and S9 (38861.7 SHU) samples, respectively. Total carotenoid content ranged from 739.8–1941.7 mg kg-1. Phytochemical analyses revealed that these spices are high in phytonutrients such as carotenoid and capsaicinoid. Mineral elements such as calcium, magnesium, potassium, copper, iron, manganese, and sodium were also present in the spices, which are essential for human nutrition.

Survey of aflatoxins and ochratoxin A in retail market chilies and chili sauce samples

The load of pesticide residues in fresh produce poses risks to food safety and human health. The reduction of pesticide residues on 'Super Hot' red chilis was determined using various washing agents. Freshly-harvested red chilis were exogenously applied with 100 μL L–1 chlorpyrifos for 5 min and air-dried overnight. Fresh chilis were washed with distilled water, 0.1% CH3COOH, 0.001% KMnO4, 1.0% NaCl, 0.1% NaHCO3, or 0.02% NaOCl for 20 min and stored in ambient room conditions (31 ± 1 °C and 65 ± 11% RH) for 4 d. In another experiment, chilis were washed with distilled water, 0.001% KMnO4 or 0.1% NaHCO3, and dried in a hot air oven at 50 °C for 24 h. Thereafter, the pesticide residues and quality of fresh and dried chilis were evaluated. The fruit washed with 0.001% KMnO4 had the lowest toxicity of chlorpyrifos. In terms of quality, fresh chili washed with NaOCl, NaHCO3, and KMnO4 had lower weight loss, better visual quality, and less shriveling. The use of 1% NaCl promoted decay. All washing agents did not affect the firmness and surface color of fresh chili. Drying itself reduced the degree of toxicity of pesticide residues whether it was washed with the washing agents or unwashed. Chilis washed with either distilled water or NaHCO3 and then dried resulted in a higher extractable color and lower occurrence of non-enzymatic browning. The use of 0.001% KMnO4 as a washing agent for 20 min can best reduce residues from chlorpyrifos applied 4 d earlier in fresh chili, and hot air oven-drying was able to reduce the residues further.