Sources
Every technical statement on this site should trace to one of the sources below. Where a standard exists in more than one edition, the edition matters — the current edition is named, and superseded editions are marked as such.
Standards — colour, moisture and physical methods
| Identifier | Title | Issuer | Notes |
| ISO 7541:2020 | Spices and condiments — Spectrophotometric determination of the extractable colour in paprika | ISO | Current edition of the paprika colour standard |
| ISO 7541:1989 | Ground (powdered) paprika — Determination of total natural colouring matter content | ISO | Withdrawn — superseded by ISO 7541:2020. Cited here only where historical equivalence with older COAs matters |
| ASTA Method 20.1 | Determination of Extractable Color in Capsicums and Their Oleoresins | ASTA | The industry method most COAs quote as "ASTA colour value" |
| ISO 939 | Spices and condiments — Determination of moisture content | ISO | Entrainment (Dean–Stark type) method |
| ISO 972:1997 | Chillies and capsicums, whole or ground (powdered) — Specification | ISO | Product specification for chillies/capsicums |
| ASTM E11 | Standard Specification for Woven Wire Test Sieve Cloth and Test Sieves | ASTM | Mesh designation basis for particle-size work |
| ISO 3310-1 | Test sieves — Technical requirements and testing — Part 1 | ISO | Sieve verification |
| ISO 2591-1 | Test sieving — Methods using test sieves of woven wire cloth and perforated metal plate | ISO | Test-sieving procedure |
| ASTM D7481 | Standard Test Methods for Determining Loose and Tapped Bulk Densities of Powders | ASTM | Bulk density of powders |
| ISO 760 / ASTM E1064 | Water content — Karl Fischer method | ISO / ASTM | Reference method for moisture disputes |
ASTA and ASTM are different organisations with different scopes. ASTM E-series and D-series methods cover test methodology (sieves, bulk density, dust-explosion parameters, packaging seals); ASTA methods cover the analytical methods of the spice trade (colour, sensory heat). A colour value is ASTA 20.1, never "ASTM 20.1".
Standards — pungency and sensory
| Identifier | Title | Issuer | Notes |
| ASTM E1083-00(2017) | Standard Test Method for Sensory Evaluation of Heat in Ground Red Pepper (10,000–70,000 SHU) | ASTM | Active standard; sensory panel method |
| ISO 3513 | Chillies and capsicums — Determination of Scoville index | ISO | Instrumental/pungency basis |
| ISO 8586 | Sensory analysis — Selection, training and monitoring of selected assessors | ISO | Panel qualification |
Regulations and official bodies
| Source | Scope | Link |
| EU Regulation (EC) No 178/2002 | General food law; traceability obligation "one step back, one step forward" | EUR-Lex |
| EU Regulation (EC) No 1881/2006 / (EU) 2023/915 | Contaminant limits (mycotoxins, heavy metals) | EUR-Lex |
| EU Regulation (EU) 2017/625 | Official controls on imports | EUR-Lex |
| EU MRLs — Regulation (EC) No 396/2005 | Pesticide maximum residue levels | EUR-Lex |
| US FDA — FSMA Preventive Controls (21 CFR 117) | Preventive controls for human food | FDA |
| US FDA — 21 CFR 178 / 21 CFR 110 | Food-contact substances; current GMP | FDA |
| Codex Alimentarius | International food standards, including contaminants and additives | FAO/WHO |
| European Spice Association (ESA) | Spice-trade quality minima (e.g. ASTA colour minimums for traded paprika) | ESA |
| China GB standards (GB 2761, GB 2762, GB 2763, GB 5009 series, GB 7718) | Contaminants, MRLs, test methods, labelling | SAMR/standard portal |
| ISO/IEC 17025 | Competence of testing and calibration laboratories | ISO |
How to use this register
- Match the identifier quoted on a certificate or datasheet to the table above.
- Check the edition — a COA quoting "ISO 7541" without a year is ambiguous after the 2020 revision.
- When a lab reports a method you cannot match, ask for the full method reference before accepting the number.