A sesame specification sheet tells you exactly what will be in your container. The lines that matter most are purity, impurity, oil content, free fatty acids (FFA) and moisture. Together they decide how the seeds will behave in your process and how long they will keep. Here is what each line means and what to check.
Purity and impurity
Purity is the share of clean sesame seed by weight. Impurity is everything else: dust, stones, husk fragments, other seeds. The two add up to 100%, so a 99.95% purity grade allows a maximum of 0.05% impurity.
Higher purity costs more because it needs more cleaning and sortex passes. Tahini and premium bakery usually need 99.95% or above; oil extraction can often work with a standard 99% grade.
Colour: whitish seeds and dark seeds
For natural sesame, sheets often state a minimum share of whitish seeds and a maximum share of dark seeds. For example, ARPRIC’s sortex-grade natural sesame is specified at 99.50% minimum whitish seeds and 0.50% maximum dark seeds. For black sesame the logic is reversed: colour sorting removes white and off-colour seeds.
Oil content
Oil content is the percentage of oil in the seed. It is critical for oil extraction and affects flavour in food use. ARPRIC sesame is specified at a minimum of 48% oil content across natural, hulled and black types.
Free fatty acids (FFA)
FFA indicates how much of the oil has started to break down. Lower is better — it signals fresher seed and better keeping quality. Typical maximums are 1% to 1.5% depending on the grade.
Moisture
Moisture affects storage life and the risk of mould. ARPRIC specifies natural, hulled and black sesame at a maximum of 6% moisture — and actual moisture in delivered lots is typically lower. If your process needs a tighter limit, state it in the specification.
Lab parameters: microbiology and pesticide residue
Requirements such as salmonella, total plate count or pesticide-residue limits vary by destination market and buyer. They are usually tested as per buyer requirement, so state your market’s limits clearly when you request a quote. Some markets test at the border too: Australia, for example, refers sesame seed consignments for Salmonella testing (see Australia sesame import rules).
HS code, packing and loading
- HS code: sesame seeds are classified under HS 120740.
- Packing: commonly 25 kg or 50 kg PP bags, kraft paper bags with liner or jumbo bags.
- Loading: approximately 19–21 MT of sesame fits in a 20ft container (FCL); the exact net weight varies per shipment.
A simple checklist before you confirm an order
- Purity / impurity grade matches your end use
- Oil content, FFA and moisture limits are stated
- Colour requirements (whitish / dark seeds) are stated for natural sesame
- Destination-market lab parameters are listed
- Packing, labelling and loading quantity are agreed
- A sample or pre-shipment inspection is arranged if you need one