Sesame from Pakistan · For the United States
Sortex sesame seeds, US specification
Sesamum indicum L.
PG Commodities exports conventional Sortex sesame seeds from Pakistan to its controlled US specification, PGC/SP/SES-SRT/US/R01. Purity is at least 99.95 % and foreign material at most 0.05 %, ten times below the 0.5 % reference level in FDA guidance. Total aflatoxins are held below 15 ppb, under the FDA action level of 20 ppb, and ethylene oxide is not used as a treatment.
We test every lot in‑house against the EU’s list of more than 700 banned chemicals, and SGS tests it again. We clean and colour sort the sesame 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
Purity · min
99.95%Foreign material · max
0.05%Total aflatoxins
<15ppbMoisture · max
6.0%Specification
Specification R01
PGC/SP/SES-SRT/US/R01 · HS 1207.40
Cleaned, optically colour-sorted whole sesame seeds, cream in colour, for bakery, confectionery, tahini, toppings, snacks, seasoning blends and further food processing. These are our contractual limits for the finished product, issued on 10 August 2026. Each shipment’s Certificate of Analysis, or the agreed laboratory report, names its sampling basis, analytical method and reporting limit.
| Purity | min 99.95 % | Finished-product criterion |
|---|---|---|
| Foreign material | max 0.05 % | Extraneous-material limit |
| Moisture | max 6.0 % | Finished-product criterion |
| Oil content | min 48.0 % | Product specification |
| Free fatty acids | max 2.0 % | FFA |
| Pests and insects | None | No live infestation |
| Hazardous foreign objects | Absent | No stones, metal, glass or hard plastic |
| Product | SES-SRT | Conventional Sortex sesame seeds; whole, natural, cream |
|---|---|---|
| Origin | Pakistan | Shipped from the Port of Karachi, PKKHI |
| HS code | 1207.40 | Sesame seeds |
| Packing | 25 kg | Food-grade polypropylene or paper bags (R01); 50 kg bags also supplied |
| Shelf life | 24 months | After packing, stored cool (preferably below 35 °C), dry, relative humidity max 65 % |
| Allergen | Contains sesame | A major U.S. food allergen, FD&C Act section 403(w) and 21 CFR Part 101; no other is intentionally used |
The full specification sheet is sent on request.
Food safety
Contaminants, residues and microbiology
Our total-aflatoxin criterion sits below the FDA action level for human food; pesticide residues follow the EPA tolerances; the rest are our own contractual criteria. The product must not be adulterated under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.
| Total aflatoxins | < 15 µg/kg (ppb) | PG Commodities criterion; the FDA action level for human food is 20 ppb, CPG 555.400 |
|---|---|---|
| Aflatoxin B1 | In the total | Result reported; the FDA sets no separate action level for B1 in this food category |
| Ethylene oxide | Not used | Not used as a treatment; if present, the tolerances of 40 CFR 180.151 apply: ethylene oxide 7 ppm, 2-chloroethanol 940 ppm |
| Pesticide residues | U.S. tolerances | FD&C Act section 408 and 40 CFR Part 180; set analyte by analyte and crop by crop, with no default limit |
| Foreign material | max 0.05 % | Ten times below the 0.5 % direct-reference level in FDA CPG 525.700 (guidance, not a tolerance) |
| Metal, glass, stones | Absent | Hazardous foreign objects not permitted |
| Heavy metals | U.S. rules | The applicable U.S. and contractual requirements; risk-based control under the FD&C Act, preventive controls and the importer’s programme |
| Total bacterial count | ≤ 100,000 CFU/g | |
|---|---|---|
| E. coli | < 10 CFU/g | |
| Coliforms | ≤ 100 CFU/g | |
| Moulds and yeasts | ≤ 20,000 CFU/g | |
| Salmonella spp. | Absent | In 25 g; no positive result permitted |
Declarations
- Conventional; not represented as organic
- Non-GMO, per the product declaration
- Not irradiated
- Ethylene oxide is not used as a treatment
- A single-ingredient food of plant origin; no gluten-containing ingredient is intentionally added
U.S. requirements
The U.S. rules behind the specification
| Food safety | Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act and the Food Safety Modernization Act; 21 CFR Part 117, current good manufacturing practice and risk-based preventive controls |
|---|---|
| Aflatoxins | FDA CPG 555.400: 20 ppb total-aflatoxin action level for human food; our criterion is below 15 ppb |
| Pesticide residues | FD&C Act section 408 and 40 CFR Part 180: EPA tolerances and exemptions |
| Allergen labelling | FD&C Act section 403(w) and 21 CFR Part 101: sesame is a major U.S. food allergen |
| GMO, irradiation, gluten | 7 CFR Part 66; 21 CFR Part 179; 21 CFR 101.91 where a voluntary gluten-free claim is made |
| Packaging | 21 CFR Parts 174 to 178, or an effective Food Contact Notification |
| Import | 21 CFR Part 1, including registration and prior notice. The Foreign Supplier Verification Program (FSVP) is the U.S. importer’s; we supply the verification support records |
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.
Quality and analytical
- Certificate of Analysis
- Total-aflatoxin result
- Pesticide-residue report to the agreed panel
- Microbiological results
- Other contaminant results, when contracted
Commercial and origin
- Commercial invoice
- Packing list
- Bill of lading
- Certificate of origin
- Phytosanitary certificate, when required
Declarations
- Allergen statement: contains sesame
- Non-GMO declaration
- Non-irradiation declaration
- U.S. importer and FSVP support records
- Halal and Kosher documents, when contracted
The documents that come with each shipment, as specification R01 lists them.
Farm to port
From our farmers to the Port of Karachi
Grown
Pakistan’s farmers are its marginalised backbone. Our Farmer Rehabilitation Programme pays our farmers above market rate, and they grow our sesame pesticide free.
Tested before it leaves the farm
In-house, and again by SGS. A lot that fails stays with the farmer to sell.
Into an export-grade truck
We load the lot into a closed truck. Our storage protocols keep the sesame at its ideal temperature.
Cleaned and sorted in our own plant
In our own plant in Karachi, an air-screen cleaner, a de-stoner and a gravity separator take out dust, impurities large and small, small stones, unfilled seed and sticks, and optical colour sorting takes out discoloured seeds and visible defects.
Processed to your order
Machine cleaned only; hulled; hulled and colour sorted; or machine cleaned and colour sorted without hulling.
Shipped from Karachi
From the Port of Karachi (PKKHI), FOB Karachi or CIF.
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 purity is your Sortex sesame for the USA?
At least 99.95 %, with foreign material at most 0.05 %, under our specification PGC/SP/SES-SRT/US/R01. Moisture is at most 6.0 %, oil content at least 48.0 % and free fatty acids at most 2.0 %.
What is your aflatoxin limit for the US?
Total aflatoxins below 15 ppb (µg/kg), under the FDA action level of 20 ppb for human food (CPG 555.400). Aflatoxin B1 is part of the total, and its result is reported.
Is ethylene oxide used on your sesame?
No. Ethylene oxide is not used as a treatment for this product.
What are your Salmonella and E. coli criteria?
Salmonella must be absent in 25 g, with no positive result permitted, and E. coli must be below 10 CFU/g.
Do you support FSVP?
Yes. The Foreign Supplier Verification Program is the U.S. importer’s responsibility; we supply the verification support records with the shipment documents.
Is sesame declared as an allergen?
Yes. Sesame is present by product identity and is a major U.S. food allergen under FD&C Act section 403(w) and 21 CFR Part 101. No other major U.S. allergen is intentionally used as an ingredient.
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.
Have you shipped sesame to the USA?
Yes. We have shipped sesame to the UAE, Belgium, Germany, South Korea and the USA.
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.
How is it packed?
In 25 kg or 50 kg bags. Specification R01 sets 25 kg food-grade polypropylene or paper bags, with a shelf life of 24 months after packing.
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. It is conventional sesame 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.
Do you also supply sesame for the EU?
Yes: Sortex sesame to our EU specification, and hulled sesame to our EU specification, with purity of at least 99.98 %.