Occidental International Foods

Sesame Seeds

Sesame is believed to be one of the oldest spices known to man and is most likely the first crop grown for its edible oil. Ancient Egyptians believed sesame had great medicinal benefits, and Babylonians used sesame in cakes as well as in beverages such as brandy and wine.

Sesame Seeds have a nutty, sweet aroma with a milky smooth flavor and are used primarily in baking but have a number of other applications as well, and are a key ingredient in Asian, Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisines. Oil from sesame seeds is used in cooking and salad oils and margarine.

In 2005 over 100 million pounds of sesame seeds were imported into the United States. India, China and Guatemala produce the majority of sesame seeds imported into the USA. Other countries producing and exporting significant amounts of sesame seeds are Sudan, Nigeria, Mexico, Venezuela, and Turkey. The majority of sesame seeds are used for baking rolls, breads, bagels and hamburger buns. Sesame seeds are versatile as they can be used as nuts as well as their many applications for bakeries.

Sesame seeds are beneficial nutritionally as they contain a high amount of protein and no cholesterol . Approximately 25% of the weight of the seeds are protein (and 47% - 49% of the weight of the seeds are the oil content).

Sesame seed hulls contain about 2-3% oxalic acid. This acid can have a slightly bitter flavor. While Natural Sesame Seeds have a light brown color and approximately 1% of dark (or "black") seeds, Hulled Sesame Seeds have a very clean white appearance. The Hulled Sesame Seeds have a somewhat smoother flavor than Natural (or Un-Hulled) Sesame Seeds. Due to the processing cost Hulled Sesame Seeds are typically about $0.08 - $0.10 / lb more expensive than Natural Sesame Seeds. Many Bakeries prefer the Natural Sesame Seeds, while others use only the Hulled Seeds.

We carry in stock 3 kinds of Sesame Seeds: Natural, Hulled (super-white) and Black Sesame Seeds

Quality Parameters:

Our guaranteed minimum purity of each lot of our imported Natural and Hulled Sesame is 99.95%, a higher requirement than most product available in the market. Below are some of the basic quality specifications we maintain with our suppliers:

Max. Impurities: 0.05%
Moisture Content : < 5.75%
FFA: < 1.5%
Total Plate Count: < 200,000 cfu /g
Salmonella: Negative /25 g

Storage:

Sesame Seeds should be stored in a cool, dry environment for better preservation. Sesame seeds can develop infestation problems if stored in hot, humid conditions for extended periods of time, especially if the product had not been previously sterilized. To minimize this risk for our clients, we have all of our lots of sesame seeds sterilized at origin and we offer our clients a low-bacteria guarantee.

Items available:

19014 Natural Sesame Seeds 99/1 (99.95% Purity), Packed 25 Kg (55 lbs ) Net Wt , Sterilized
19016 Natural Sesame Seeds 99/1 (99.95% Purity), Packed 50 lbs Net Wt , Sterilized
19030 Hulled Sesame Seeds, Super-White (99.95% Purity), Packed 25 Kg (55 lbs ) Net Wt , Sterilized
19044 Natural Black Sesame Seeds (99.9% Purity), Packed 25 Kg (55 lbs ) Net Wt , Sterilized