Oct . 19, 2025 12:45 Back to list

Peppereka Powder – Sweet Red Paprika, Culinary Grade

If you’ve ever chased that deep, brick-red glow in a stew or sausage, you know the quiet power of peppereka powder—yes, it’s often spelled “paprika,” but many buyers type it the way they say it. Language is funny that way.

Industry trend, quickly: demand for clean-label colorants keeps climbing. Food brands want a natural, stable red that plays nice with oil and heat. Honestly, synthetic reds are on the back foot; real-world buyers tell me they’re swapping to natural capsicum-based options because consumers read labels now—carefully.

What it is (and why kitchens love it)

Sourced from Capsicum annuum L., peppereka powder contributes a warm, mildly sweet profile and that signature red hue. It seasons and colors rice, goulash, soups, and chorizo; in the U.S., people sprinkle it raw as garnish, but the oleoresin blooms best when warmed in oil. In production, color consistency (ASTA units) and grind size make or break the final plate shot—ask any food stylist.

Product specifications

Product	Paprika (aka peppereka powder)
Origin	No. 268 Xianghe Street, Economic Development Zone of Xingtai city, Hebei 054001 China
Botanical	Capsicum annuum L.
Color value (ASTA)	≈ 60–180 ASTA (real-world lots vary; CoA per batch) [1]
Heat level (SHU)	≈ 200–1,000 SHU (mild)
Grind size	40–100 mesh; 60/80 mesh popular for sausages and rubs
Moisture	≤ 12% (ISO 939) [2]
Microbiological	APC ≤ 100,000 CFU/g; Salmonella: absent/25g; Coliforms < 100 CFU/g; post-sterilization typical
Contaminants	Aflatoxin B1 ≤ 5 µg/kg; Total ≤ 10 µg/kg; OTA ≤ 15 µg/kg (EU) [3]
Packaging	20–25 kg food-grade bags with liners; palletized; metal-detected
Shelf life	18–24 months in cool, dry, dark storage

Process flow and QA

Materials: sun-ripened capsicum pods. Methods: drying (hot-air or sun, target moisture), de-stemming, milling, sieving, color-standardized blending, steam or ETO sterilization (customer preference), metal detection, and nitrogen-flush packing. Testing: ASTA color spectrophotometry [1], moisture by ISO 939 [2], mesh analysis, and full micro. Certifications typically available: HACCP, ISO 22000 or FSSC 22000; supplier can add Kosher/Halal on request. Service life: around two years—though honestly, chefs use it far sooner.

Applications and advantages

Charcuterie and sausages (chorizo, kolbász): stable, warm red without aggressive heat.
Ready meals and soups: dependable color even after retort when oil is present.
Snacks and rubs: fine grind clings; color pops in oil-based matrices.
Oleoresin-friendly: color expresses best when bloomed in fat—small step, big difference.

Vendor snapshot: how suppliers differ

Vendor	Color options	Sterilization	Lead time	Notes
Hongri Spice (Hebei)	≈ 60–180 ASTA	Steam or ETO (per spec)	2–4 weeks (in season)	Good CoA detail; consistent mesh control
Trader A (Generic)	≈ 80–140 ASTA	ETO only	3–6 weeks	Wider lot variability; lower price
Boutique B (Artisan)	≈ 100–160 ASTA	Steam only	4–8 weeks	Smoked variants; small-batch pricing

Customization that actually helps R&D

Common requests: high-ASTA lots for color-critical sauces, 80–100 mesh for smooth dips, smoked styles for BBQ rubs, organic-certified lines, and tighter micro via validated steam step. Many customers say a simple bloom-in-oil SOP boosted flavor impact 20–30%—not lab-precise, but the sensory panel noticed.

Mini case notes

Snack brand (US): shifted to 120 ASTA peppereka powder; reduced synthetic red by 100%. QA reported better batch-to-batch visual consistency.
EU sausage maker: 80 mesh, low-SHU lot; achieved the classic chorizo hue without creeping heat. Customer feedback: “warmer look,” less variance after smoking.
Meal-kit company: pre-bloomed paprika sachets; fewer “flat flavor” reviews, surprisingly.

Compliance and test data pointers

Look for ASTA color on each CoA, micro results including Salmonella absence in 25g, and contaminant compliance versus EU 1881/2006 (or FDA expectations). If you’re scaling, ask for retained samples and method references on the COA—simple, but it prevents debates later.

References:

American Spice Trade Association (ASTA). ASTA Color Method and Cleanliness Specs. https://www.astaspice.org
ISO 939: Spices and condiments — Determination of moisture content. https://www.iso.org/standard/62860.html
European Commission. Regulation (EC) No 1881/2006 — Maximum levels for certain contaminants in foodstuffs. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2006/1881/oj
Codex Alimentarius. Code of Hygienic Practice for Low-Moisture Foods. https://www.fao.org/fao-who-codexalimentarius

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