Pepper Organisations

Pepper organisations are good news for the consumer and for producers. They regulate standards in pepper production, promote and develop the pepper industry and keep their finger on the pulse of international pepper trading. Some provide invaluable help for small farmers. The Spices Board of India, for example, provides marketing expertise, financial aid for processing equipment, and educational programmes for quality control and post-harvest hygiene.

The ASTA, founded in 1907, headquarters in Washington DC. The prefix ASTA is sometimes combined with pepper classifications, usually those from Indonesia and Malaysia. It means that the pepper meets the minimum standards laid down by ASTA for quality, cleanliness, packaging, essential oil, piperine and moisture levels, etc.