SHU

 Even though modern companies may claim that without capsaicinoids there is no effect, it's just a clever half-truth to boost sales of their products – alcohol, which is always used to dilute capsaicin (so that pepper spray can even be used), does the same job and constitutes the majority of the solution (commonly about two-thirds of the content). Even less spicy pepper spray is quite enough for human and animal eyes, but the cheapest solutions can have issues with decreasing pressure, awkward construction, and so on…

A few interesting facts from the history of the Scoville scale

You might be wondering where this scale got its name, and it's definitely the right question – it is named after Wilbur L. Scoville (1865–1942), who was an American chemist and the first in human history (since 1912) to think of quantitatively measuring the spiciness of peppers. And what is his test called? It is called the "Scoville Organoleptic Test".

Part of the Scoville organoleptic test is a solution containing water, sugar, and the tested peppers' solution. It is diluted with water and experienced tasters compare everything (at least five people), because the spiciness disappears very quickly.

For example, a regular paprika is sweet, not spicy, and contains no capsaicin (it is whole, undiluted, and not spicy). If Habanero has 300,000 SHU, it means you would have to dilute a similar solution 300,000 times with water before capsaicin becomes undetectable.

What are the spiciness levels of the most famous chili peppers?

Currently, these are the varieties (but this ranking is always changing depending on who manages to grow what, and it also varies greatly depending on chance, water during the season, substances, soil acidity, altitude, … actually just like with tobacco or wine):

• Just for comparison, pure capsaicin has 16,000,000 SHU!
• "Pepper X" - 3,180,000 SHU
• Dragon's Breath - 2,480,000 SHU
• Carolina Reaper - 2,200,000 SHU
• Trinidad Moruga Scorpion - 2,009,231 SHU
• 7 Pot Douglah - 1,853,936 SHU
• Dorset Naga - 1,598,227 SHU
• Trinidad Scorpion Butch Taylor - 1,463,700 SHU
• Naga Viper - 1,382,118 SHU
• Trinidad 7 Pot Jonah - 1,200,000 SHU
• Satan's Strain Trinidad Scorpion Moruga - 1,194,205 SHU
• Naga Morich - 1,086,844 SHU
• Infinity Chilli - 1,067,286 SHU
• Bhut Jolokia - 1,041,427 SHU
• Trinidad 7 Pot CARDI Strain - 850,000 SHU
• Red Savina Habanero - 350,000 – 580,000 SHU
• Habanero - 100,000 – 350,000 SHU
• Bird's Eye Chili - 50,000 – 100,000 SHU
• Tabasco - 30,000 – 50,000 SHU
• Serrano - 5,000 – 23,000 SHU
• Chipotle - 5,000 – 10,000 SHU
• Jalapeño, Tabasco sauce - 2,500 – 8,000 SHU
• Poblano - 1,000 – 2,000 SHU
• Pimento - 100 – 500 SHU 

Which data on pepper sprays should I trust?

At first, all vendors on the market indicated the spiciness of their pepper sprays this way. For example, one spray from SABRE had this text: "Sabre sprays contain the most effective irritating substance on the market, reaching 2,000,000 SHU (unit of spiciness). For comparison, the spiciest chili peppers reach about 70,000 of these units. Check how much SHU the active ingredient of a cheap pepper spray has. Do not skimp on your safety, SABRE RED defensive sprays can effectively and reliably save your health and life in critical situations." However, when we look at the scale above, we find that it's not that much of a blockbuster.

SABRE today has moreover begun to measure things differently. And how do we most easily and accurately measure all capsaicinoids? In scientific terms (our experience is shared by New Mexico State University represented by Paul W. Bosland and Stephanie J. Walker): "The only and by far the most accurate method for measuring the spiciness of chili peppers is a method called High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). In its procedure, everything is dried, ground, and the chemicals responsible for spiciness are extracted from the peppers and injected into an HPLC machine for analysis. The method is of course more expensive than simple tasting, but it's a truly objective analysis of spiciness. This way, not only the overall spiciness of the given peppers but also the individual types of capsaicinoids contained here can be revealed." The Scoville organoleptic test therefore has its limitations and is always highly subjective.

How important is the spiciness of chili for stopping an attacker?

Even though the SABRE company claims that products without its systematic control are unusable and prone to failure (they speak of up to 30% of cases in practice), we must not forget that pepper spray is not just the given capsaicinoid (a thick oily substance), but it is always diluted in some alcohol. Yes, the same alcohol that burns in wounds, in the throat, and with which doctors disinfect tools, etc., so even if you have only 8% capsaicinoids in the pepper spray and the remaining 60-70% is some alcohol, it has no effect on the function, because both still burn the mucous membranes intensely. And rumors about unreliability and being trained on pepper sprays by thieves are of course nonsense – you always tear up over onions and can never stop, just as alcohol will always burn in your eyes no matter how you try to train for it…

However, the fact is that rather than the record amount of capsaicinoids, it is much more important to accurately and surprisingly = effectively hit your target – i.e., the area of the eyes, mouth, and nose. Pepper spray must be used surprisingly and used all at once. The attacker definitely shouldn't see it, otherwise they might close their eyes and hold their breath.

The truth is that if you have a good pepper spray, you don't have to worry much about the spiciness of chili. The factors of its use are extremely important, even crucial! Even the cheapest pepper spray (if you have verified its function, control, and reach) gives you at least a few seconds to think about how to handle the situation: Is it simplest to run away? If not, then while they are wiping their eyes (which they might have managed to close because people blink every few seconds) just kick them/hit them on the knee (from the side of the legs, directly, with a telescopic baton, …), so they can't follow you and then escape.