Hulled Sesame Seeds

99/1 & 99/2 purity, graded by whiteness

CBIL brokers hulled white sesame seed in the purity grades the trade contracts against — 99/1 (99% purity, 1% foreign matter) and 99/2 — with whiteness as the second commercial variable and often the one that actually sets the price. Hulling strips the seed coat, which is where the oxalate and much of the bitterness sits, and it is why tahini and halva producers buy hulled rather than natural: the paste comes out pale, sweet and smooth instead of grey and astringent. Whiteness is a measured value, not a description, and buyers at the top of the market specify a floor for it because the shade carries straight through into finished paste and onto a bun top. Oil content typically runs 48–52%, FFA ≤ 2%, moisture ≤ 6% and admixture ≤ 1%, with the seed Sortex-cleaned and metal-detected after hulling.

The reason to pick hulled over natural is appearance and taste, and the reason not to is cost: hulling loses weight and adds a process step, so hulled sits well above natural seed, and if you are crushing for oil or roasting the seed dark you are paying for a hull removal that buys you nothing. Hulled seed is also more fragile — no coat means faster oxidation and a shorter shelf life — so moisture control and packing matter more. Sesame is a recognised Salmonella and ETO risk in the EU, and residue and pathogen findings drive most RASFF notifications on this line, so every lot ships against SGS or Intertek certification of purity, whiteness, oil content, FFA, moisture, admixture, pesticide residue and Salmonella status. Supply is structured in 25kg and 50kg PP or jute bags, container-load, on FOB, CFR and CIF terms.