Sesame from Pakistan · Specifications
Sesame seeds from Pakistan
Sesamum indicum L.
PG Commodities exports conventional Sortex and hulled sesame seeds from Pakistan to three controlled specifications: Sortex for the European Union, hulled for the European Union and Sortex for the United States. Purity is at least 99.95 % for Sortex and 99.98 % for hulled.
We test every lot in‑house against the EU’s list of more than 700 banned chemicals, and SGS tests it again. We clean, hull or colour sort the sesame to your order in our own plant in Karachi and ship it from the Port of Karachi, FOB Karachi or CIF, in 25 kg or 50 kg bags. The minimum order is one 40‑foot container.
Sesamum indicum L. · Drawing, not a lot’s test result
Specifications
Three controlled specifications
Issued in August 2026. Each page gives the full limits, the food safety criteria, the testing and the documents that come with a shipment.
European Union
Sortex sesame seeds
PGC/SP/SES-SRT/EU/R01
| Purity | min 99.95 % |
|---|---|
| Foreign material | max 0.05 % |
| Moisture | max 6.0 % |
| Ethylene oxide | Not detected |
European Union
Hulled sesame seeds
PGC/SP/SES-HUL/EU/R01
| Purity | min 99.98 % |
|---|---|
| Foreign material | max 0.02 % |
| Moisture | max 5.0 % |
| Ethylene oxide | Not detected |
United States
Sortex sesame seeds
PGC/SP/SES-SRT/US/R01
| Purity | min 99.95 % |
|---|---|
| Foreign material | max 0.05 % |
| Moisture | max 6.0 % |
| Total aflatoxins | < 15 ppb |
Processing
Processed to your order, in our own plant
In our own plant in Karachi we clean, hull and colour sort the sesame, in whichever of four ways the order asks for.
Machine cleaned only
An air-screen cleaner, a de-stoner and a gravity separator take out dust, impurities large and small, small stones, unfilled seed and sticks.
Machine cleaned and colour sorted, without hulling
Sortex sesame: optical colour sorting takes out discoloured seeds and visible defects.
Hulled
The outer hull is removed under controlled conditions to give clean kernels.
Hulled and colour sorted
The hulled kernels, colour sorted as well.
Testing
Every lot tested twice, before it leaves the farm
We test every lot in‑house against the EU’s list of more than 700 banned chemicals, and SGS tests it again. A lot that fails stays with the farmer to sell. Lots are tested by an ISO/IEC 17025 laboratory, and every lot comes with its own Certificate of Analysis. One sample from each lot stays with us in Karachi, as our record of what we sent.
Crop calendar
When Pakistani sesame is available
Sesame grows in Pakistan from June to September and is harvested from September to November. It is readily available for bulk export from October to March. Availability tightens in April and May, and is at its lowest, old crop only, from June to September. Samples follow the seasons, so a product’s sample is in the office once its harvest is in.
- Readily available, October to March
- Tightening, April and May
- Lowest, old crop, June to September
Trade terms
Terms, packing and lead time
- Incoterms
- FOB Karachi or CIF
- Port of loading
- Port of Karachi PKKHI
- Minimum order
- One 40-foot container
- Lead time
- 21 days after order confirmation, depending on the order
- Bags
- 25 kg or 50 kg
- Exporting since
- 2016
- Shipped to
- The UAE, Belgium, Germany, South Korea and the USA
- Markets
- Europe (except Russia), the UK, the USA, Canada and the GCC
The company
PG Commodities and The Product Group
PG Commodities is an agricultural commodity exporter in Karachi, Pakistan, and a member of The Product Group. It has exported since 2016, and ships sesame, rice, maize, eggs, potatoes and red onion from the Port of Karachi.
Muhammad Nasir Vohra, Pakistan’s first polymer technologist, founded The Product Group in Karachi in 1970. The group has partners in twelve countries, more than 50 long-term producer partnerships, and distributes over 200,000 tonnes of industrial products a year. It is Kuraray’s official distributor, and its companies are GTCL, SPC and PG Commodities.
Certifications
- ISO 22000:2018
- ISO 9001:2015
- ISO 14001
- ISO 37001
- BRCGS
- HACCP
- GMP
- GLOBALG.A.P.
- SMETA
- Sedex
- FSSC 22000
- Kosher
- Halal
SGS issues our ISO, FSSC 22000, BRCGS, HACCP, GMP and GLOBALG.A.P. certificates. Copies of every certificate are sent on request.
Buyers’ questions
What buyers ask us
What sesame do you export?
Conventional Sortex and hulled sesame seeds from Pakistan, to three controlled specifications: Sortex for the EU, hulled for the EU and Sortex for the USA.
What is the difference between Sortex and hulled sesame?
Sortex sesame is whole, natural sesame, cleaned and optically colour sorted, cream in colour; ours has a purity of at least 99.95 %. Hulled sesame has the outer hull removed, leaving white to creamy white kernels; ours has a purity of at least 99.98 %.
Where is your sesame grown?
In Pakistan. Our farmers grow it pesticide free, and our Farmer Rehabilitation Programme pays them above market rate.
Is your sesame tested for ethylene oxide?
Yes. Both our EU specifications require ethylene oxide, with 2-chloroethanol, to be not detected at a limit of quantification of 0.05 mg/kg, and our Sortex specifications record that ethylene oxide is not used as a treatment.
Who tests each lot?
We test every lot in‑house against the EU’s list of more than 700 banned chemicals, and SGS tests it again. Lots are tested by an ISO/IEC 17025 laboratory, and every lot comes with its own Certificate of Analysis.
Which countries do you ship sesame to?
We have shipped sesame to the UAE, Belgium, Germany, South Korea and the USA, and we sell to Europe (except Russia), the UK, the USA, Canada and the GCC.
What is the minimum order?
One 40-foot container.
Which Incoterms do you offer?
FOB Karachi and CIF, from the Port of Karachi (PKKHI).
How soon can you ship?
21 days after order confirmation, depending on the order.
When is Pakistani sesame available?
Harvest runs from September to November. Sesame is readily available for bulk export from October to March; availability tightens in April and May and is lowest, old crop only, from June to September.
Can I see a sample first?
Yes. Tell us the product, grade and destination. Samples follow the seasons, so a product’s sample is in the office once its harvest is in.
Is it organic?
No. Our sesame is conventional and is not represented as organic. Our farmers grow it pesticide free, and every lot is tested against the EU’s list of banned chemicals before it leaves the farm.