From Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh.
Mustard seeds (Brassica juncea / Sinapis alba) — India is the world's second-largest producer with 8+ million MT annually, mostly from Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, and Punjab. Three commercial varieties: yellow mustard (Sinapis alba, milder), black mustard (Brassica nigra, sharper), and brown / Indian mustard (Brassica juncea, the most common). Used for tempering, pickling, mustard oil, and table mustard preparation.
Sesame seeds (Sesamum indicum, til) — India is among the top three global exporters, sourced from Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, and Rajasthan. Three commercial forms: natural white sesame (with hulls, beige color), hulled sesame (off-white, hulls removed), black sesame (smaller, darker, distinct flavor). Aethon Overseas supplies all varieties in bulk export bags or retail packs, with NABL COA per lot.
Mustard & sesame specifications
| Item | Variety / Grade | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| Mustard — Yellow | Sinapis alba, milder flavor | Pickling · table mustard · USA / EU |
| Mustard — Black | Brassica nigra, sharper | Indian / South Asian cuisine · oil |
| Mustard — Brown / Indian (Rai) | Brassica juncea, most common | Tempering · pickling · oil extraction |
| Mustard — Sortex 99.5% | Sortex-cleaned, purity 99.5% | Premium retail · foodservice |
| Sesame — Natural White (with hulls) | Beige, full hull, oil 50%+ | Bakery · ingredient · oil |
| Sesame — Hulled (Hulled / Decorticated) | Off-white, hulls removed | Tahini · bakery · confectionery |
| Sesame — Black | Smaller, dark, distinct flavor | Asian cuisine · specialty retail |
| Sesame — Roasted | Roasted natural or hulled | Furikake · gomashio · garnish |
Mustard & Sesame From India
What buyers should know about Indian mustard and sesame seed wholesale — varieties, processing, MOQ, certifications, and the realities of the trade.
1. Mustard Variety Logic
Yellow mustard (Sinapis alba) is the EU / USA pickling standard — milder, larger seed. Brown/Indian mustard (Brassica juncea, "Rai") is the South Asian standard — sharper, oil-extraction grade. Black mustard is the smallest/sharpest. Each commands different markets and pricing.
Buyer tip: clarify variety at quote stage. "Mustard seeds" without specification often defaults to brown/Indian — clarify if you need yellow for pickling.
2. Sortex Purity Standard
99.5% Sortex-cleaned is the wholesale-export standard for both mustard and sesame — color-sorted, foreign matter removed, broken / damaged seeds removed. Below 99% is fit for industrial / oil extraction; above 99.7% is premium retail.
Buyer tip: specify Sortex purity in your spec sheet. "Sortex 99.5%" is the safe default for retail-bound shipments.
3. Hulled vs Natural Sesame
Natural sesame retains the hull (beige, full oil content, 50%+ oil). Hulled sesame has hulls removed (off-white, used for tahini, bakery, confectionery). Hulling adds processing cost but reduces oxalate content and produces the classic tahini-color seed.
Buyer tip: hulled sesame has shorter shelf life (8-12 months vs 18-24 for natural with hulls). Plan inventory accordingly.
4. Mustard Oil Extraction Grade
Lower-grade mustard seeds (95-98% pure) typically go to mustard oil extraction. Premium oil mustard has erucic acid 30-40%, glucosinolates intact. For oil buyers, the variety (Brassica juncea) and seed maturity matter more than visual sortex grade.
Buyer tip: oil-grade mustard is 15-25% cheaper than retail Sortex grade. Specify end-use to get the right grade and pricing.
5. Pesticide MRL (EU / USA)
Mustard and sesame both face EU and USA MRL scrutiny — particularly for chlorpyrifos and glyphosate. Aethon's NABL COA tests on destination MRL panel per shipment.
Buyer tip: explicitly request "EU MRL" or "US EPA MRL" panel testing on your spec sheet for those destinations. We test by default per destination.
6. Packaging & MOQ
Bulk export: 25 kg or 50 kg PP / Jute bags. Retail packs: 100g, 200g, 500g, 1kg vacuum sachets. Aethon trial MOQ: 1 MT per SKU on mustard and sesame (these are denser, higher-volume commodities than premium spices). Standard wholesale: 5–10 MT per SKU.
Buyer tip: 20ft FCL fits 22-24 MT of mustard or sesame seeds — these are dense seeds, higher fill than spice-paper goods.
Who We Serve in This Category
Pickling / Condiment Industry
Yellow mustard for USA / EU pickling brands; bulk 25 / 50 kg bags FCL volume.
Tahini / Bakery / Confectionery
Hulled white sesame for tahini producers, bakeries, halva confectionery.
Mustard Oil Producers
Brassica juncea oil-grade mustard for oil-extraction plants (India, Bangladesh, Nepal export).
Specialty Retail / Asian Cuisine
Black sesame, roasted sesame for Japanese / Korean / pan-Asian foodservice and retail.
Get a Mustard & Sesame Quote in 24 Hours
Tell us spec: mustard variety (yellow / black / brown), sesame variety (natural / hulled / black), Sortex purity required, target volume per SKU, packaging format, destination port, Incoterm. We send a written quote within 24 hours plus a 250–500 g sample by courier in 5–10 days.
Aethon Overseas is APEDA-registered, FSSAI-licensed, with NABL-accredited COA per lot covering moisture, foreign matter, microbial counts, pesticide residues on the destination MRL panel, and oil content (where relevant). We supply both retail-grade Sortex 99.5% and oil-extraction grade 95-98% per buyer requirement.
- 1. List your target varieties, Sortex grades, and per-SKU volumes.
- 2. We send a written quote with bulk and retail-pack pricing per grade.
- 3. Free 250–500 g sample for evaluation.
- 4. On approval, we ship with NABL COA covering destination MRL panel.
Get a 24-Hour Quote
Tell us the product, target MOQ, and destination port. Free samples available; no onboarding required for the first quote.
WhatsApp (fastest response):
Response within 24 hours · Free samples available
Sources & Further Reading
Industry and regulatory sources for mustard and sesame trade.
- APEDA — mustard & sesame export data — Indian seed-spice export statistics.
- Spice Board of India — Indian spice quality standards including mustard and sesame.
- FAO — global mustard production — world mustard and sesame trade data.
- EU MRL Database — EU pesticide MRLs for seed spices.
- US FDA — sesame allergen labeling — US FALCPA sesame allergen rules (effective 2023).
- Indian Council of Agricultural Research — sesame — Indian sesame agronomy and varieties.
This page is maintained by the Aethon Overseas Editorial Team. Production volumes, varieties, and MRLs are based on May 2026 data; verify current regulations via your customs broker per shipment. Last reviewed 9 May 2026.
Mustard & Sesame FAQ
What buyers ask about Indian mustard and sesame seed wholesale.
