# Alkaloids Corporation — Hazardous Materials Safety Interpretation

**Citation:** 00-0312  
**Type / status:** guidance / guidance  
**Agency:** Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration  
**Effective:** Not stated  
**Published:** 2001-03-23

00-0312 response to Alkaloids Corporation concerning 173.22.

## Document text

<<<PAGE 1>>>

of Transportation
U.S. Department
400 Seventh St., S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20590
MAR 2 3 2001
Mr. Mano J. Karnani
Ref. No. 00-0312
Alkaloids Corporation
8 Bentinck Street
Calcutta-700 001
Dear Mr. Karnani:
This responds to your request for assistance in determining the
United Nations identification number for "capsicum oleoresin."
It is your understanding that because of the material's
characteristics, it may be considered dangerous cargo in
transportation.
Your letter provides no information about the physical state
properties of your particular product or the manner in which the
(solid, liquid, aerosol), chemical composition or hazard
material is packaged.
Therefore, we are unable to provide you
with
any specific guidance.
Under § 173.22 of the U.S. Hazardous
Materials Regulations (HMR; 49 CFR Parts 171-180), it is the
shipper's responsibility to properly classify a material in
accordance with the hazard class definitions in Part 173. If the
material does not meet a hazard class definition and, in
addition, does not meet the definition of a hazardous substance,
hazardous waste, or a marine pollutant as defined in § 171.8, the
material would not be regulated as a hazardous material under the
HMR.
Depending upon its properties and form when offered for
transportation, capsicum oleoresin may be a Class 9 material, an
aerosol if pressured with a gas, it may meet some other hazard
class or may not be regulated.
The material's manufacturer is
the best source for this information.
I assume your intent is to export the material to the United
States.
If the material is a hazardous material under the HMR
and if all or part of the transportation is by vessel,
§ 171.12 (b) of the HMR permits, with certain exceptions, a
placarded and described in accordance with the requirements of
hazardous material that is classed, packaged, marked, labeled,
the International Maritime Dangerous Goods Code to be offered and
accepted for transportation in the United States.
See 49 CFR
171.12. Similarly, § 171.11 of the HMR provides that a hazardous
material may be transported by aircraft, and by motor vehicle
either before or after being transported by aircraft, when
173.22
000312

<<<PAGE 2>>>

prepared for transportation
in accordance with the International
Civil Aviation Organization's Technical Instructions for the
Transport of Dangerous Goods by Air.
I trust this satisfies your request.
Please contact us if we can
be of further
assistance.
Sincerely,
Hother. Mitchell
Chief, Regulatory Review and Reinvention
Hattie I. Mitchell
Office of Hazardous Materials Standards

<<<PAGE 3>>>

stevens
51.13.22 -
• Shippers
Gram
E-mail No.
Telefax
(91) 33-248 8449: 240 1619
Phone.
/ 248-1263
alkacorp@vsnl.com
(248-7574 Kesponsibi lay
248-5464
ALKALOIDS CORPORATION
00-0312
Telefax Message
8, BENTICK STREET,
November 07, 2000.
CALCUTTA-700 001.
U.S. Department of Transportation
Research & Special Programs Administration,
office of Hazardous Materials Safety,
400 Seventh Street, SW (DHM-32),
Washington, DC 20590,
U.S. A.
Dear Sirs,
We intend to export a quantity of 250 Kgs, Capsicum oleoresin.
we understand that this falls under the category of Dangerous
cargo due to the characteristics of the product.
we are unable to identify the exact UN/IMDG Code No. of the
product and shall be obliged if you can kindly inform the UN
No. under which the product falls.
roduct is 2234 but in the absence of the UN No. we are unabl
s per Information available with us, the FEMA No Of the
to co-relate the same with the regulations governing movement
of Dangerous Goods by air.
Thanking you in anticipation of receiving your prompt reply,
FOI ALKALOIDS CORPORATION
Yours faithfully,
All queu
Mano 1 Kamani.
•:
:...
Iø 390d
60:90 20-IT-Ø0
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## Provenance

- Official: Yes
- Source: <https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/sites/phmsa.dot.gov/files/legacy/interpretations/Interpretation%20Files/2000/000312.pdf>
- Source ID: `phmsa`
- SHA-256: `a0c1e5d97531265f8afda4b5e4917488b658648a534c4ed55b32ef8dde52518c`
- Retrieved: 2026-08-20T00:59:31.977Z
- Exported: 2026-08-22T19:47:16.378Z
- Document slug: `phmsa-interpretation-00-0312`

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