Economically motivated adulteration (EMA) red pepper powder is a matter of great concern in Korea recently to corrupt public distribution order. EMA red pepper powder usually prepared by addition of Dadegi, oleoresin or spoiled red pepper powder (Hiar...
Economically motivated adulteration (EMA) red pepper powder is a matter of great concern in Korea recently to corrupt public distribution order. EMA red pepper powder usually prepared by addition of Dadegi, oleoresin or spoiled red pepper powder (Hiari). This work was intended firstly to confirm phytoene as indicate substance for the qualitative and quantitative detection of EMA red pepper powder, which prepared by intended oleoresin addition for color compensation. For the development of reliable detection method by using HPLC, we confirmed HPLC conditions. We can detect phytoene at oleoresin mixed red pepper powder at retention time (23.5 min) and showed good linear regression (R2>0.9997). Relative standard deviation was less than 1.85% in the low limit of quality control of 1 ug/ml. The recovery yield was from 91.3% to 102%. These results suggest that the developed HPLC method is simple, efficient, and could contribute to the detection of paprika oleoresin in fraud red pepper power. Secondly, we have tried to develop the official manuals for the qualitative and quantitative detection of spoiled red pepper powders by using a scanning electron microscope, quantative polymerase chain reaction, or hemocytometer. In the analysis of structure of red pepper powders under low magnification, the surface of normal red pepper powders was clean and smooth, while those of spoiled red peppers were dirty and scratched by the existence of microbes and their action. We could distinguish between normal and spoiled pepper powders qualitatively by these findings. We designed PCR primers for qPCR for the detection of fungal infection that is a key reason in forming spoiled red peppers. We found that the values of threshold cycle (Ct) were not in direct proportion to the corresponding numbers of fungal spores related with red pepper diseases. Enumeration of spores by hemocytometer, the most simple and economic method, was reproducible and well propotional to the various mixing ratio of spoiled pepper powders. This could replace the Howard mold assay method, the official mold count of KFDA conducted only by professionally trained personnel. We present an optimized spore counting for the rapid and reliable detection of spoiled red pepper powders.