White Sesame Seeds

About

What it is and where it shows up.

White sesame seeds (Sesamum indicum) are small, hull-removed oilseeds from the sesame plant, widely used as a topping, in tahini, and as a culinary flavouring ingredient across global cuisines. They are naturally rich in unsaturated fats, proteins, fibre, calcium, and bioactive lignans (sesamin, sesamolin), making them both a nutritive food and a functional ingredient.

Safety summary

The regulatory and scientific consensus.

White sesame seeds are safe and nutritious for the general population with no established ADI, as they are a whole food rather than a food additive. However, sesame is a recognised major food allergen in the US (since January 1, 2023 under the FASTER Act), EU, Canada, Australia, and many other jurisdictions, with allergic reactions ranging from mild urticaria to life-threatening anaphylaxis. Mycotoxin contamination (particularly aflatoxins) and Salmonella are documented food safety hazards in the global sesame supply chain.

Regulatory landscape

What food-safety regulators have decided.

Jurisdiction	Status	Note
FSANZ (Food Standards Australia New Zealand) (Australia)	Approved	Sesame seeds and sesame products are listed as mandatory declaration allergens under Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code, Standard 1.2.3 – Mandatory Warning and Advisory Statements and Declarations. Approved as a food ingredient with no maximum use level.source
EFSA (European Food Safety Authority) (European Union)	Approved	Sesame seeds and products thereof are listed as a mandatory declared allergen under Annex II of Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 on the provision of food information to consumers. Approved as a food ingredient with no maximum use level; allergen declaration is compulsory regardless of quantity.source
FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India) (India)	Approved	Sesame seeds are recognised as a food ingredient under the Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulations, 2011. Specific compositional standards exist for sesame (til) oil; Sesamum indicum is listed in the FSSAI nutraceutical schedule (Schedule I). Til oil from white sesame seeds grown in Tripura, Assam, and West Bengal requires mandatory AGMARK certification under FSS (Prohibition and Restrictions on Sales) Regulations, 2011. India has not yet implemented mandatory sesame-specific allergen labelling equivalent to the US or EU.source
FDA (Food and Drug Administration) (United States)

Who should approach with care

Whose guidance would steer them away.

Other — Individuals with a diagnosed sesame allergy must strictly avoid white sesame seeds and all sesame-derived products (tahini, sesame oil, etc.), as reactions can range from urticaria and lip swelling to life-threatening anaphylaxis; sesame is a legally designated major food allergen in the US, EU, India, and Australia.

Infants — Introduction of sesame to infants with a personal or family history of food allergy should be discussed with a paediatrician, given sesame's status as a major allergen and the documented high rate of emergency department visits in allergic children.

Children — Sesame allergy is prevalent in children (estimated 0.2% in the US, up to 20% of food-allergic children in some countries), and survey data show that two-thirds of children with sesame allergy have required emergency department visits, warranting heightened awareness in child-feeding contexts.

Research citations

The sources behind this verdict.

1FDA. Voluntary Disclosure of Sesame as an Allergen: Guidance for Industry. fda.gov
2PubMed. Food safety issues associated with sesame seed value chains: Current status and future perspectives, 2024. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
3FSSAI. Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulations, 2011 – Chapter 2.2: Fats, Oils and Fat Emulsions (Version 1, September 2023), 2023. fssai.gov.in
4FDA. Food Allergies – Sesame and the FASTER Act, 2023. fda.gov
5FDA. FDA Reminds Manufacturers of Effective Date for Sesame as a Major Food Allergen, 2022. fda.gov

Independently researched5 citations