Formulations: Heat, Strength and the Law

Because human pepper sprays are not government regulated, manufacturers can make unchecked, exaggerated claims implying their sprays are more effective than they are. Keep reading to learn the truth about SABRE Red pepper spray, Scoville Units and OC percentage, so that you can make a better educated choice and purchase a more effective pepper spray product. If you’re looking for industrial grade, high performance police pepper spray, Scoville Units can be deceptive. The key item in SABRE pepper spray ingredients is Oleoresin Capsicum (OC), and it’s vital that the potency is accurately tested. Discover how to ensure that your pepper spray won’t let you down when you need it!

The truth is that SABRE is the only pepper spray manufacturer that controls and guarantees formula strength! Our exclusive HPLC (High Performance Liquid Chromatography) Guarantee means our pepper sprays never fail due to inconsistent heat levels. No other brand can make the same claim.

So, don’t be fooled by misleading numbers. Know that the following claims could be deceiving:

OC Percentage

Some brands hope you believe a higher oleoresin capsicum (OC) percentage means a more effective spray. But this number only measure the amount of pepper within the spray, not the heat strength or effectiveness.

Scoville Heat Units (SHU)

Some brands advertise the SHU of the raw pepper, not of the pepper spray formulation. The SHU of the raw peppers is highly diluted in the pepper spray formula, and therefore not an accurate indicator of strength.

Major capsaicinoids are the true heat measure and can only be guaranteed through High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) testing – and, again, we’re the only brand that does. The only pepper sprays that are government regulated (by the EPA and Health Canada) are animal pepper sprays. Dog sprays range from 0.25% to 1.0% major capsaicinoids and bear sprays range from 1.0% to 2.0% major capsaicinoids. WARNING: Do not purchase pepper spray without checking its content of major capsaicinoids.