Premium sesame seeds

Epifresh premium white & natural sesame — export-ready lots with SGS/BV inspection options.

Market Snapshot

Origin

Centre-Ouest & Boucle du Mouhoun, Burkina Faso

Harvest Window

Main: Oct–Dec · Mid-season: May–Jun

Export Capacity

5,000–10,000 MT/year · 5–500 MT per shipment

Lead Time

14–21 days to FOB Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire

Epifresh’s sesame program couples GlobalGAP and Ecocert certified farms with modern cleaning lines (destoner, gravity separator, optical sorter, inline metal detection). Every lot receives accredited lab testing for moisture, oil, FFA, and aflatoxin, ensuring predictable performance for tahini processors, bakeries, edible oil crushers, and snack manufacturers. Strategic warehousing near Ouagadougou keeps year-round availability for spot, forward, and program buyers.

Detailed Specifications

Technical Parameters

Botanical name

Sesamum indicum

Color & type

Premium white & natural (brown) grades

Moisture

≤ 6% (≤5% for premium)

Oil content

48–52% (cold-pressed basis)

Foreign matter

≤0.5% premium · ≤1% standard

Aflatoxin

B1 ≤2 ppb · total ≤4 ppb (HPLC/ELISA)

Grades & Applications

Grade
Purity
Oil %
Applications
Premium White
99.95%
50–52%
Tahini, bakery toppings, organic retail
Standard White
99.90%
48–50%
Snacks, confectionery, roasting
Natural Premium
99.90%
48–50%
Oil pressing, halva, sesame paste
Organic White
99.95%
50%+
Ecocert / USDA organic retail & processing

Packaging Formats

Package Type
Weight Options
Container Load
Primary Use
25 kg PP bagsFood-grade + HDPE liner
25 kg ±0.3 kg
20–21 MT / 20ft
Program buyers, blended loads
50 kg PP bagsBulk commercial
50 kg ±0.5 kg
25–26 MT / 40ft
Oil crushers, industrial users
Retail packsVacuum & doypack
500 g · 1 kg · 5 kg
Custom
Private label, organic shops

Quality & Certifications

Ecocert & GlobalGAP

Certified organic and Good Agricultural Practices coverage across 120+ partner farms.

  • EU & USDA Organic documentation
  • HACCP + ISO 22000 processing
  • Traceable farm lots with GPS tagging

Lab Validation

SGS/Bureau Veritas aligned testing for each shipment.

  • Moisture · oil · FFA · seed count
  • Aflatoxin B1 & total using HPLC/ELISA
  • Heavy metals & microbiology on request

Sustainable Sourcing

Farmer support programs with regenerative agronomy, fair-trade premiums, and climate-smart irrigation.

  • Farmer financing + agronomy coaching
  • Community warehouse investments
  • Gender-inclusive procurement policy

Certification Badges

Ecocert
GlobalGAP
Organic
Fair Trade

Processing Workflow

1

Field selection & harvest

Traceable farm blocks harvested at optimal maturity and sun-dried on raised mats to hit ≤8% moisture pre-cleaning.

2

Primary cleaning

Destoning, aspiration, and magnetic separation to remove soil, chaff, and ferrous fragments.

3

Gravity & optical sorting

Gravity tables balance density while color sorters purge discolored kernels for uniform appearance.

4

Metal detection & packing

Inline metal detection prior to bagging in food-grade PP with tamper tape, palletization, and fumigation (if requested).

5

Final QC & documentation

Accredited lab COA, photos, and digital traceability pack shared before vessel or truck loading.

Packaging & Logistics

Export Packaging Comparison

Specification
25 kg PP
50 kg PP
Retail / Vacuum
Net Weight
25 kg ±0.3 kg
50 kg ±0.5 kg
0.5–5 kg
Container Load (20ft)
20–21 MT
22–23 MT
Custom pallets
Protection
HDPE liner + desiccant
Double stitching + tamper tape
Vacuum/N2 flush
Use Case
Program shipments
Bulk processors
Retail & foodservice

Shipping & Logistics

Sea Freight

FOB Abidjan or CFR/CIF worldwide.

  • 20ft: 20–21 MT · 40ft: 25–26 MT
  • Transit: 18–25 days EU / 30–38 days Asia
  • SGS/BV loading supervision available

Inland Logistics

Dedicated trucking corridor Burkina Faso → Abidjan port.

  • 3–5 days line haul with GPS tracking
  • Bonded warehousing & fumigation
  • Flexible consolidation with other Epifresh SKUs

Air Freight Samples

1–200 kg consignments via Ouagadougou and Accra hubs.

  • 2–4 day transit to EU / ME
  • Vacuum packed sample jars
  • Quality dossier + photos inside shipment

Pricing & Terms

Indicative FOB Abidjan (Jan 2026)

Grade
USD/MT
MOQ
Availability
Premium White
$1,750 – 1,900
2 x 20ft (40 MT)
Year-round
Standard White
$1,600 – 1,750
1 x 20ft
Year-round
Natural Premium
$1,520 – 1,650
1 x 20ft
Peak season
Organic White
$2,050 – 2,250
10 MT
Contracted

Pricing includes cleaning, bagging, export documentation, SGS/BV inspection (optional surcharge), and inland logistics to Abidjan. Adjustments apply for Incoterms CFR/CIF, special packaging, or finance terms.

Payment & Risk Mitigation

Letters of Credit

  • Confirmed LC at sight (Tier-1 banks)
  • 2–3 day document turnaround
  • Discounting support via partners

Escrow / Fintech

  • EscrowLock & Payoneer (1.5–2.5%)
  • Split-release tied to SGS/BV report
  • Ideal for first-time buyers

Stablecoin (USDC/USDT)

  • 0.1–1% fees · same-day settlement
  • Cold-wallet custody until shipment
  • Real-time FX hedging against XOF

Applications & Use Cases

Tahini & Halva

High oil, low moisture white sesame delivers smooth paste texture and long shelf life.

Bakery & Snacks

Uniform grain size (280–320 seeds/g) ideal for enrobing, toppings, and bars.

Edible Oils

48–52% oil content and responsive pressing yields for refined or cold-pressed oil.

Organic Retail

Ecocert lots for premium health food and private-label ranges.

Nutrition Snapshot (per 100 g)

Laboratory Values

Energy

573 kcal

Protein

17–18 g

Fat

49–52 g
(21.8 g PUFA · 18.8 g MUFA)

Carbohydrates

23–25 g

Dietary fiber

11–12 g

Calcium / Iron / Mg

Ca 975 mg · Fe 14 mg · Mg 351 mg

Epifresh laboratory data · January 2025 — indicative values.

Ready to Source West African Sesame?

Reach our Burkina Faso export desk for pricing, samples, compliance packs, and shipping slots.

Office

London, United Kingdom.

Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.

Phone

UK: +44 (0)20 4572 0724

WhatsApp

UK: +44 (0)7 541 671 714

BF: +226 78 55 32 16

Chat instantly

Email

info@epifresh.com

LinkedIn

https://www.linkedin.com/in/alocha-epifresh/