Official Response From Warwick on Naga Viper Test

This is a response from Peter Dunn press representative from Warwick University to Dave De Witts Press person.It is also on Dave's website I am copying it to all blogs and forums.

"The University of Warwick School of Life Sciences has been asked by a number of growers to test Chillies to ascertain their heat level on the Scoville Scale. Each of those tests has been done as a commercial service to those clients and the University has not publicized or press released any of the results.

One of those clients recently asked us to test a Chilli they described as a "Naga Viper". We completed the test and gave the results to the client. We have since seen a number of media publish those results under headlines that this indicates that the tested Chilli is the hottest in the world.

We also understand from news reports that there has been some interest in having this published as a fact in the Guinness Book Records.

While we cannot release our full report on this Chilli without the commercial clients express permission, we can say that we feel that any result obtained from the Chilli sample that was tested by us should be viewed as only a good indicator that this Chilli could the conditions of entry into the Guinness Book of Records. The sample provided to us was relatively small and, while we do not know explicitly what the Guinness Book of Records testing requirements would be, we would expect that they would require at least one more test with a larger sample and possibly a corroborating test in another lab."


So there we have it. A test on a very small sample with no duplication and no third party testing. Problem with one test is it might be a fluke or doctored sample. Thats why any analytical science test needs to be done a few times to be official. And third party testing is letting someone else check your sample materials. The Naga Viper may not even exist. A Scorpion or another chile might just be called a Naga Viper. Who would know the difference? Only genetic testing could prove it. If this chile is real, then growing logs over the last 4 years or more should support it. And if the Naga Viper is a record then additional testing will prove it. Otherwise for now buyer beware. Don't let the Media make up your mind. Thats why God gave us a brain.

A special thanks to Warwick University for their honesty and Professionalism.