Measuring the Scoville Heat Units of Mike's Hot Honey infused with Chilli

In less then 5 minutes we were able to measure the Scoville Heat Units (SHU) of Mike's Hot Honey.

Preparing the Sample

One of the nice things about testing honey products is that honey mixes very easily with the ZP buffer. There’s no need for heating or special treatment — it dissolves smoothly with a quick mix.

Sample prep steps:

1. Weigh 100 mg of Mike’s Hot Honey using a balance.

2. Add 900 µL of the ZP buffer.

3. Transfer the mixture into a small centrifuge (Eppendorf‑style) tube.

   
   

   Note: We don’t centrifuge it — the tube just makes it easy to handle.

4. Mix briefly.

   
   

   The honey disperses rapidly in the buffer, forming a clean and consistent solution.

This creates a 1-in-10 dilution, which matches the settings available in the ZP app.

With the sample prepared, we’re ready to run the test live.

Running the Measurement

For the demonstration, I used a fresh ZP chili sensor mounted onto the Generation 4 food sensor device.

Measurement workflow:

• Insert a new chili sensor onto the device.

• Give the test a name (e.g., 102) for easy tracking in the cloud.

• Fit a clean pipette tip.

• Draw 50 µL of the prepared honey/buffer mixture.

• Deposit the 50 µL directly onto the center of the chili sensor.

• Start the measurement via the app.

The Generation 4 system is designed for rapid, real‑time process control, which means:

• The assay is quick.

• The result appears immediately on the phone.

• And the complete dataset is automatically uploaded to the ZP Cloud.

The SHU Result

Within moments, the system returned a result:

⭐ 358 Scoville Heat Units (SHU) ⭐

This aligns very well with the taste profile:sweet, spicy, but not intensely hot.

For context:

• Mike’s Hot Honey: ~358 SHU

• Tabasco Sauce: typically 2,500–5,000 SHU

So Mike’s Hot Honey is noticeably milder than classic chili sauces, consistent with its role as a flavour enhancer rather than a source of intense heat.

Reviewing the Data in the Cloud

After the measurement, I switched to the ZP Cloud to confirm the full dataset.

The cloud dashboard provides:

• File/sample name

• Date and time

• Who ran the test

• The raw electrochemical signal

• The calculated SHU result

If you’ve watched previous ZP demonstrations, you’ll recognise the characteristic three capsaicin peaks (Peak 1, Peak 2, Peak 3). The cloud system processes these peaks, extracts their heights, and uses them to compute the final SHU value.

Everything is archived automatically — ideal for:

• Quality control

• Batch release

• Product development

• Process optimisation

This is especially valuable if you’re adjusting formulations in real time and need rapid feedback on spice levels.

Final Thoughts

This demonstration shows that the ZP Food Sensor (Gen 4) can handle complex sample types, including honey products infused with chili — something not traditionally easy to measure analytically.

For Mike’s Hot Honey, the final result was:

≈358 SHU

A pleasant, mild kick — perfect for everyday culinary use.

If you have any questions about SHU measurement, chili sensors, or testing unusual food matrices, don’t hesitate to reach out. The team at ZP is always happy to help.