DESCRIPTION

Black Pepper is obtained from the fully dried unripe berries of Piper nigrum L. (Family Piperaceae) with unbroken pericarp. Whole Black Pepper has a globular shape and wrinkled pericarp with a brown to black color. The whole berries may be processed by drying or dehydrating, decorticating, grading, crushing, and/or grinding to obtain the products of commerce. Black Pepper has a penetrating odor and a hot, biting, pungent taste; it is free of added colors. This FCC identity standard is applicable to Black Pepper as the whole dried fruit and as the ground dried fruit (powder).