Black and White Pepper for Buyers: Definitions, Market Names, HS Code and Labels

Put the botanical name, the form and the HS subheading on a pepper specification: the official texts read for this guide name one species for black and white pepper and separate them by the state of the fruit. Malaysia's Food Regulations 1985 define black pepper as "the dried mature fruit of the plant Piper nigrum" and white pepper as "the dried, mature ripe fruit of the plant Piper nigrum, from which the outer coating of the fruit has been removed" (English text updated until August 2026). The US list of spices in 21 CFR 182.10 prints "Piper nigrum L." against both "Pepper, black" and "Pepper, white" (eCFR version of 7 October 2026). This guide covers definitions, names in seven markets, forms, trade codes and standards, registered place names, ingredient lists and supplier questions.

How Do Official Texts Separate Black and White Pepper?

Malaysia. Regulation 323 says "Black pepper shall be the dried mature fruit of the plant Piper nigrum." Regulation 325 says "White pepper shall be the dried, mature ripe fruit of the plant Piper nigrum, from which the outer coating of the fruit has been removed."

Indonesia. BPOM Regulation 13 of 2023 defines lada hitam as a spice obtained from the fruit of the plant Piper nigrum Linn, picked after most of the fruit is ripe, and dried, and lada putih as a spice from the fruit of Piper nigrum Linn, picked after most of the fruit is fully ripe, with its outer skin removed (our translation).

Thailand. Community product standard 491/2547, listed by the Thai Industrial Standards Institute (TISI) as พริกไทยป่น, "GROUND BLACK AND WHITE PEPPER", has two types: ground black pepper, made without peeling off the skin, and ground white pepper, made with the skin peeled off (our translation).

Australia and New Zealand. Schedule 22 of the Food Standards Code (compilation No. 5, in force on 30 April 2026) lists "Pepper, black, white*, pink, green" in the class "Spices, fruit or berry", with the footnote "* Although white pepper is in principle a processed food of plant origin it has been classified as Spices, fruit, berry".

On these texts, one species is named for both, and they are told apart by whether the outer coating or skin of the fruit remains.

Which Botanical Name Do the Texts Print?

21 CFR 182.10, a table of spices "generally recognized as safe for their intended use", gives "Piper nigrum L." for both pepper rows. BPOM writes Piper nigrum Linn in its definitions and Piper nigrum alone in its raw-material list, and Malaysia writes Piper nigrum with no author.

An information document of the Codex Committee on Spices and Culinary Herbs (CCSCH), a layout template for its standards rather than a standard, lists "Pepper (Black, White, Green)" as "Piper nigrum Beyr. ex Kunth" in its grouping of spices and as "Piper nigrum L." in its list by generic names. That second list puts several plants under "Pepper", "Any of the below species", including "Pepper Long" ("Piper longum L.") and "Pink pepper" ("Schinusmolle L.", as printed). Chapter 9 of the World Customs Organisation (WCO) HS nomenclature, 2022 edition, notes that the chapter "does not cover Cubeb pepper (Piper cubeba) or other products of heading 12.11."

The word pepper alone therefore does not identify Piper nigrum.

What Is Pepper Called in Each Market?

Malaysia. The Malay text of the Food Regulations 1985 heads regulations 323 to 327 "Lada hitam", "Serbuk lada hitam", "Lada putih", "Serbuk lada putih" and "Campuran serbuk lada" for the five English headings.

Indonesia. BPOM uses Lada Hitam, Lada Hitam Bubuk, Lada Putih, Lada Putih Bubuk and Lada Bubuk Campuran for black pepper, ground black pepper, white pepper, ground white pepper and mixed ground pepper (our translation).

Thailand. TISI's open-data list (dataset metadata modified 19 September 2025) files standard 491/2547, พริกไทยป่น, in its food group (our translation).

Singapore. The National Parks Board (NParks) record for Piper nigrum was last updated on 22 January 2026. It gives the common names "Common Pepper, Pepper Plant, Black Pepper, White Pepper, Madagascar Pepper, Lada Hitan, 胡椒, 白胡椒, 黑胡椒", spellings as printed.

China. The national standards information platform supervised by China's market regulation and standardisation administrations (our translation) lists GB/T 7901-2018 as 黑胡椒, "Black pepper", and GB/T 7900-2018 as 白胡椒, "White pepper".

Vietnam. The list of geographical indications protected in Viet Nam, published by the Intellectual Property Office of Viet Nam, prints the product as Tiêu, Hạt tiêu or, once, Hạt tiêu đen (our translation: pepper, peppercorn, black peppercorn).

Which Forms Do the Texts Describe?

Whole and ground. Malaysia defines black pepper powder as "the powder obtained by grinding the dried, mature fruit of Piper nigrum" and white pepper powder as "the powder obtained by grinding the dried, mature ripe fruit of Piper nigrum from which the outer coating of the fruit has been removed". Mixed pepper powder combines the two; regulation 286 adds that "Spice may be dried or ground or both". BPOM defines ground black pepper and ground white pepper as products obtained by grinding black or white pepper, and mixed ground pepper as a mixture of the two, and says spices may be whole, sliced, powder or paste (our translation).

The US definition of spice in 21 CFR 101.22(a)(2) includes the phrase "whole, broken, or ground form", among other conditions, and its examples include "Pepper, black; Pepper, white;". Singapore's Food Regulations, regulation 213, describe spices "(whether whole, partly ground or in powder form)" among other conditions (current version as at 11 October 2026).

Cracked. A search of every text read found no definition of cracked pepper. The only pepper-related use found is the style label "Pieces/cut/cracked/broken" in the empty tables of the Codex template.

How Is Pepper Classified for Trade and Standards?

Trade classification. In the 2022 edition of the WCO HS nomenclature, heading 09.04 reads "Pepper of the genus Piper; dried or crushed or ground fruits of the genus Capsicum or of the genus Pimenta." Under pepper, subheading 0904.11 is "Neither crushed nor ground" and 0904.12 is "Crushed or ground". The heading does not separate black from white pepper. National tariff schedules were not checked.

International standards. ISO 959-1:2026 and ISO 959-2:2026 are ISO specifications for black and for white pepper (Piper nigrum L.), whole or ground. As read on 11 October 2026, the catalogue entries published by Albania's national standards body give both a publication date of 5 May 2026 with the status "Published", and show ISO 959-1:1998 and ISO 959-2:1998 as "WITHDRAWN". We did not read either standard.

Chinese national standards. As shown on 11 October 2026, the Chinese platform lists GB/T 7901-2018 and GB/T 7900-2018, published on 6 February 2018, as current, and GB/T 48087-2026, 胡椒粉质量通则, "General rule for the quality of pepper powder", published on 28 August 2026, as to be implemented from 1 September 2027 (our translation). We did not read these texts.

Which Place Names Appear in Geographical Indication Registers?

The material below gives names and, where printed, numbers and dates; we make no quality claim for any of the named products.

Thailand. The Department of Intellectual Property register sheet for พริกไทยตรัง, "Phrikthai Trang หรือ Trang Pepper", gives registration number สช 64100170, filing and registration dates of 29 ตุลาคม 2563 (2020 in the Gregorian calendar, our conversion), and the applicant as จังหวัดตรัง, Trang Province (our translation). Its products include whole and ground black and white pepper (our translation).

Vietnam. The Intellectual Property Office's list, whose latest row is dated 05/02/2024, records Quảng Trị for Tiêu, certificate 6-00045 granted 28.10.2014, applicant Sở Khoa học và Công nghệ tỉnh Quảng Trị; Đắk Nông for Hạt tiêu, certificate 6-00111 granted 09/11/2021, applicant Sở Khoa học và Công nghệ tỉnh Đắk Nông; and Chư Sê for Hạt tiêu, certificate 6-00115 granted 27/12/2021, applicant Ủy ban nhân dân huyện Chư Sê (our translation of the column headings).

European Union. As read on 11 October 2026, the European Commission's eAmbrosia register shows "Lada Putih Muntok", file number PDO-ID-02919, country "Indonesia", combined nomenclature code "0904", status "Registered", and the date 05/07/2024. The register prints no holder for this entry.

Indonesia. A presentation on the e-learning site of the Directorate General of Intellectual Property (DJKI) lists "Lada Hitam Lampung" under Lampung and "Lada Putih Muntok" under Bangka Belitung among geographical indication products registered in Indonesia (our translation). The slides give no number, date or holder, and the presentation is undated.

How Can Pepper Appear on an Ingredient List?

In the United States, 21 CFR 101.22(h)(1) says spice "may be declared as “spice”" in the statement of ingredients. In Australia and New Zealand, Standard 1.2.4 (compilation No. 2, in force on 2 September 2025) says that, subject to Division 3 of Standard 1.2.3, a statement of ingredients must identify each ingredient other than offal by a name by which it is commonly known, a name that describes its true nature, or "a generic name for the ingredient that is specified in Schedule 10, in accordance with any conditions specified in that Schedule". Schedule 10 (compilation No. 4, in force on 25 February 2021) lists "spices" as a generic name with no condition for use entered.

In Singapore, regulation 5(4)(b)(i) of the Food Regulations defines the appropriate designation on an ingredient list as a specific name or description indicating the true nature of the ingredient "except as provided in the First Schedule". The First Schedule lists "Any spice or mixture of spices or spice extracts not exceeding 2% by weight, either singly or in combination in the food" against "Spice, spices or mixed spices as applicable".

In Malaysia, regulation 11(1) applies to every package containing food for sale, unless otherwise provided in the Regulations, and paragraph (e) requires, for food of two or more ingredients other than water, food additives and added nutrient, the appropriate designation of each ingredient in descending order of proportion by weight. Regulation 2 defines that designation as a specific, not a generic, name or description. For mixed pepper powder, regulation 327(2A) requires "a statement of the percentage of pepper powder" on the label, and regulation 327(3) requires the words “mixed pepper powder with (state the name of the flavour enhancer )” as the first line of the label where a permitted flavour enhancer is present.

Because the US, Australian and New Zealand, and Singapore provisions allow a category name within their stated conditions, a finished-product label might not name pepper at all, let alone black or white. Ask for the full description on the specification instead.

What Should You Ask a Pepper Supplier?

• Botanical name. Ask for Piper nigrum on the specification and on each lot's certificate of analysis; pepper alone covers other plants in the Codex template's generic list.
• Black or white. Ask which definition the lot is sold against, for example Malaysia's regulation 323 or 325 or BPOM's lada hitam or lada putih entry.
• Form. Ask whether the lot is whole, cracked or ground, and which text defines it; the texts read define no cracked form. For mixed pepper powder under Malaysia's regulation 327(2A), check that the label states the percentage of pepper powder.
• Trade code. Ask for the HS subheading on the shipping documents: 0904.11 is "Neither crushed nor ground" and 0904.12 is "Crushed or ground".
• Standards cited. If a specification cites ISO 959-1 or ISO 959-2, ask for the edition: the entries read on 11 October 2026 show the 1998 editions withdrawn. For GB/T 7900, GB/T 7901 or GB/T 48087, ask for the edition and status.
• Place names. If an offer uses a place name such as Lampung, Muntok or Trang, ask whether it claims a registered geographical indication, and for the register, number and date, then check them with that authority.

What Is Lada Putih?

Lada putih is the Malay heading of regulation 325 of Malaysia's Food Regulations 1985 (Malay text, header "Kemaskini sehingga Ogos 2026"), where the English text says white pepper and defines it as "the dried, mature ripe fruit of the plant Piper nigrum, from which the outer coating of the fruit has been removed". BPOM Regulation 13 of 2023 defines Lada Putih as a spice from the fruit of Piper nigrum Linn, picked after most of the fruit is fully ripe, with its outer skin removed (our translation).

Do Black and White Pepper Come From the Same Species?

In the texts read, yes. 21 CFR 182.10 prints "Piper nigrum L." against both "Pepper, black" and "Pepper, white". Malaysia's regulations 323 and 325 print Piper nigrum for both, while BPOM's two definitions print Piper nigrum Linn; BPOM's raw-material list has a single row, "Lada Hitam, Lada Putih", for Piper nigrum.

Which HS Code Covers Black Pepper?

In the 2022 edition of the WCO HS nomenclature, heading 09.04 covers "Pepper of the genus Piper", with subheading 0904.11 for "Neither crushed nor ground" and 0904.12 for "Crushed or ground". The heading does not separate black from white pepper; national tariff schedules were not checked.

Can an Ingredient List Say Spice Instead of Pepper?

In the US, Australian and New Zealand, and Singapore texts read, yes, within their stated conditions. 21 CFR 101.22(h)(1) says spice "may be declared as “spice”". Australia and New Zealand's Schedule 10 lists "spices" as a generic name with no condition entered. Singapore's First Schedule allows "Spice, spices or mixed spices as applicable" for spices "not exceeding 2% by weight, either singly or in combination in the food". Malaysia's regulation 2 defines the designation required on its ingredient lists as a specific, not a generic, name or description; regulation 11(1) applies unless the Regulations provide otherwise.