Cumin Seed (Jeera)
Cuminum cyminum — sourced from the Unjha market yard in Gujarat, cleaned to the grade you order, and shipped with the full export document set. This is our flagship line and the one we know best.
Four grades, named the way the trade names them.
"Singapore quality" and "Europe quality" are trade conventions rather than legal standards, so the numbers below are what we contract to. If your specification differs, send it and we will quote against yours instead of ours.
| Grade | Purity | Admixture | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Europe Quality Double sortex |
99.5% min | 0.5% max | EU retail packers and grinders with tight foreign-matter limits |
| Singapore Quality Sortex cleaned |
99% min | 1% max | The most widely traded export grade; general food manufacturing |
| Machine Cleaned | 98% min | 2% max | Grinding, oleoresin extraction, bulk industrial buyers |
| Cumin Powder Ground to order |
From 99% seed | — | Spice blenders and retail packers; mesh size to your specification |
Sortex cleaning is optical color sorting — it removes discolored seed, stones and foreign seed that mechanical cleaning leaves behind. Double sortex means the lot passes the sorter twice.
What we contract to
These are our standard parameters for Singapore quality whole seed. Every consignment is tested before shipment and a certificate of analysis is issued on request. Buyers with stricter internal limits should send their own specification with the inquiry.
- Botanical nameCuminum cyminum
- OriginUnjha, Gujarat, India
- Purity99% min
- Moisture8% max
- Admixture / foreign matter1% max
- Volatile oil2.5% min (v/w)
- Total ash9.5% max
- Acid insoluble ash1.5% max
- ColorNatural greenish-brown
- Flavour & aromaCharacteristic, free from off-odour
- InfestationNil, live or dead
- Shelf life24 months, correctly stored
How it ships
Loadability varies with bag size, packing density and whether the container is palletised. Treat the figures below as planning numbers — the exact quantity is confirmed on the proforma invoice.
Packing options
- 25 kg PP woven bags with inner liner
- 50 kg PP woven or jute bags
- 10 / 20 kg cartons for smaller retail packers
- Private label printed bags or pouches to your artwork
- Palletised and shrink-wrapped where the destination requires it
Bag markings — product, grade, net weight, lot number, crop year, origin and your purchase-order reference — are printed as you instruct.
| Container | Packing | Approx. quantity |
|---|---|---|
| 20' FCL | 25 kg bags | 18 – 19 MT |
| 20' FCL | 50 kg bags | 19 – 20 MT |
| 40' FCL | 25 kg bags | 24 – 26 MT |
| LCL | As agreed | From 1 MT |
Cumin is a light, bulky commodity — a 20-foot container usually cubes out before it reaches its weight limit, which is why the tonnage looks low against denser goods.
Commercial details
Everything below is our default position. All of it is negotiable against volume and a track record of repeat business — say what you need and we will tell you whether we can do it.
- HS code0909.31 (whole) · 0909.32 (ground)
- IncotermsFOB · CFR · CIF · EXW
- Minimum order1 × 20' FCL preferred; LCL considered
- PaymentIrrevocable L/C at sight · advance T/T
- Lead time15 – 25 days from confirmed order
- SampleCouriered before bulk purchase
- InspectionBuyer's nominated agency welcome
Why Unjha decides the world's cumin price
India produces the large majority of the world's cumin, and Unjha — a town of modest size in the Mehsana district of Gujarat — is where most of it is traded. Growers from across Gujarat and Rajasthan bring their crop to the market yard, where it is auctioned in the open every working morning. The rate discovered there is the reference the rest of the trade quotes against.
Buying at Unjha means seeing lots before committing to them, judging color and aroma in person, and paying the market rate rather than a rate marked up through a chain of traders. It also means we can react to the crop: in a short year we will tell you the grade is tight rather than quietly shipping something weaker.
Sowing runs from November; harvest begins late February; arrivals peak through March and April. Fresh-crop material is at its best for aroma and color in those months.
Shipping cumin into the USA
The United States is one of the largest single markets for Indian cumin, and also one of the most closely inspected. Below is what US importers need from a supplier, and what we provide against it.
| Requirement | What it means | Responsibility |
|---|---|---|
| Food Facility Registration | Foreign facilities that process or hold food for US consumption must register with the FDA and renew biennially, naming a US Agent. | Exporter |
| Prior Notice | The FDA must be notified of each food shipment before it arrives at the US port of entry. | Filed by importer or agent; we supply the shipment data |
| FSVP Foreign Supplier Verification Program |
The US importer must verify that its foreign supplier produces food to standards equivalent to US requirements. | Importer — we provide the supporting documentation |
| Salmonella | A positive result renders a consignment adulterated and it will be refused entry. Spices have historically been a focus of FDA import screening. | Exporter — tested before shipment |
| Pesticide residues | Residues must fall within US tolerances; a residue with no US tolerance set makes the consignment violative. | Exporter — tested against the US limit list |
| Filth & extraneous matter | Assessed against the FDA's published defect action levels for cumin seed, covering insect infestation and mold. | Exporter — controlled by sortex cleaning |
| Labeling | Retail packs must carry US-format labeling, including country of origin. | Agreed with the buyer before printing |
What we supply to US buyers
- Certificate of analysis from an accredited laboratory, issued in your company's name
- Salmonella and pesticide residue reports against the US limit list
- Lot traceability from market purchase through to container number
- Shipment data in time for your Prior Notice filing
- Documentation package to support your FSVP file
- Third-party pre-shipment inspection by an agency you nominate
Our US registration details
- FDA Food Facility Registration[Add FFR number]
- US Agent[Add US Agent name]
- DUNS number[Add DUNS]
- Laboratory[Add testing lab]
Registration is free and filed directly with the FDA. Ask us for the current certificate at any time.
Send us three lines and we will send you a price.
Grade, quantity, destination port. That is all we need to quote.