10 February 2026 · 7 min read
Indian red chilli powder: ASTA colour, heat and aflatoxin explained
The three specifications that decide whether a chilli powder lot clears your destination's food controls — and how to write them into a contract.
Colour is a measured value, not an adjective
ASTA colour is a laboratory measurement of extractable colour. Byadgi chilli delivers high colour with modest heat; Guntur delivers heat with lower colour. Most commercial powders are a blend tuned to a target ASTA value, so state the number you need rather than the variety name.
Heat level
Pungency is measured in Scoville heat units or as capsaicin content. If your product is a consumer-facing blend, a tolerance band matters more than a single figure — specify, for example, a range rather than an exact value, so lot-to-lot variation does not trigger a rejection.
Aflatoxin and residue limits
Aflatoxin limits differ sharply by market; the European Union applies among the strictest thresholds for spices. Name the destination's limit in the contract and require a laboratory report against that limit with the shipping documents, not after arrival.
Practical contract wording
A workable specification clause names mesh size, ASTA colour with tolerance, moisture and total ash maxima, aflatoxin limit with the applicable regulation, and the inspection basis. With those five lines agreed, most disputes disappear.
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