1. Product Overview
| Parameter |
Value |
| Botanical Name |
Cuminum cyminum L. |
| Common Names |
Cumin Seeds, Jeera, Kumin, Comino |
| Plant Family |
Apiaceae (Umbelliferae) |
| Part Used |
Dried fruit (commonly called seed) |
| Origin |
Gujarat (Unjha) & Rajasthan, India (70%+ global supply) |
| Harvest Season |
February–April (Rabi crop) |
| HS Code |
0909.31.00 |
| Key Active Compound |
Cuminaldehyde (4-isopropylbenzaldehyde) |
| Key Applications |
Culinary spice, curry powders, seasoning blends, essential oil extraction, Ayurvedic medicine,
food processing |
| Annual India Export Volume |
~180,000 MT (FY 2024-25) |
| India Global Market Share |
~70% |
| Primary Market (Unjha APMC) |
World's largest cumin trading hub |
| Certifications Available |
Spices Board, FSSAI, ISO 22000, HACCP, Kosher, Halal, USDA Organic |
2. Commercial Grades — Specification Comparison
| Parameter |
Eagle Sortex |
European EQ |
Singapore SQ |
Machine Clean |
India FAQ |
Cumin Powder |
| Grade Type |
Premium |
Premium |
Standard |
Standard |
Basic |
Processed |
| Purity (min.) |
99.5% |
99% |
98% |
97% |
95% |
99% |
| Volatile Oil (min.) |
≥3.0% |
≥2.8% |
≥2.5% |
≥2.0% |
≥1.5% |
≥2.5% |
| Moisture (max.) |
10% |
10% |
12% |
12% |
12% |
10% |
| Foreign Matter (max.) |
0.5% |
1% |
2% |
3% |
5% |
— |
| Color Sorting |
Triple-sorted |
Double-sorted |
Single-sorted |
Machine only |
— |
— |
| Damaged Seeds (max.) |
1% |
2% |
3% |
5% |
5% |
— |
| Mesh Size (Powder) |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
40–80 mesh |
| Color |
Greenish-brown, uniform |
Brown, uniform |
Brown |
Brown, mixed |
Mixed |
Tan to brown |
| Typical Use Cases |
Premium retail, EU supermarkets |
EU food processing |
SE Asia/Middle East |
Industrial food mfg. |
Domestic, blending |
Spice blends, seasonings |
| Price Range (FOB India) |
$2,800–3,500/MT |
$2,400–3,000/MT |
$2,000–2,600/MT |
$1,600–2,200/MT |
$1,200–1,800/MT |
$2,200–2,800/MT |
3. Chemical Composition (Whole Cumin Seeds)
| Component |
Value |
Notes |
| Volatile Oil |
2.5–5.0% |
Primary quality indicator; cuminaldehyde dominant |
| Fixed Oil |
10–15% |
Rich in petroselinic acid |
| Protein |
17–18% |
— |
| Carbohydrates |
33–38% |
Including dietary fiber |
| Dietary Fiber |
10–12% |
— |
| Ash |
4–8% |
Indicative of mineral content |
| Calcium |
931 mg/100g |
— |
| Iron |
66.4 mg/100g |
Exceptionally high |
| Energy |
375 kcal/100g |
— |
4. Global Export Data by Destination (Top 10)
| Rank |
Country |
Primary Port |
Transit (days) |
FTA Status |
Import Duty |
| 1 |
🇦🇪 UAE |
Jebel Ali |
5–7 |
CEPA — Reduced |
0–5% |
| 2 |
🇺🇸 United States |
Long Beach |
18–22 |
None |
~5% |
| 3 |
🇬🇧 United Kingdom |
Felixstowe |
20–24 |
UK FTA — 0% |
0% |
| 4 |
🇧🇩 Bangladesh |
Chittagong |
5–8 |
SAFTA — Low |
0–5% |
| 5 |
🇲🇾 Malaysia |
Port Klang |
8–12 |
CECA — Reduced |
0–5% |
| 6 |
🇩🇪 Germany |
Hamburg |
20–24 |
India-EU negotiations |
~5% |
| 7 |
🇨🇳 China |
Shanghai |
14–18 |
None |
~12% |
| 8 |
🇯🇵 Japan |
Yokohama |
16–20 |
CEPA — Reduced |
0–10% |
| 9 |
🇫🇷 France |
Le Havre |
20–24 |
India-EU negotiations |
~5% |
| 10 |
🇳🇱 Netherlands |
Rotterdam |
20–24 |
India-EU negotiations |
~5% |
5. Quality Testing Parameters
| Test |
Method |
Acceptance Criteria (Eagle Sortex) |
| Volatile Oil Content |
Steam distillation (ASTA 5.0) |
≥3.0% v/w |
| Moisture Content |
Oven drying at 103°C |
≤10% |
| Total Ash |
Incineration at 550°C |
≤8% |
| Acid Insoluble Ash |
HCl wash |
≤1.5% |
| Extraneous Matter |
Visual/sieve |
≤0.5% |
| Aflatoxins (total) |
HPLC |
≤10 ppb (EU: ≤5 ppb for B1) |
| Pesticide Residues |
GC-MS/LC-MS |
Per EU MRL Regulation 396/2005 |
| Salmonella |
ISO 6579 |
Absent in 25g |
| E. coli |
ISO 16649 |
≤10 cfu/g |
| Lead (Pb) |
ICP-MS |
≤2 ppm |
| Ethylene Oxide |
GC-MS |
Not detected (EU requirement) |
6. Packaging & Containerization
| Packaging |
Net Weight |
Units/20ft FCL |
FCL Load |
Best For |
| PP Bags with PE Liner |
25 kg |
700 bags |
17.5 MT |
Standard export |
| Jute Bags with PE Liner |
25 kg |
700 bags |
17.5 MT |
Traditional markets |
| Multi-ply Paper Bags |
25 kg |
700 bags |
17.5 MT |
EU/US retail |
| Vacuum Packs (retail) |
50g–1kg |
Varies |
— |
Supermarket retail |
| Bulk (Jumbo Bags) |
500 kg |
34 bags |
17 MT |
Industrial processing |
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Market Reference: Unjha APMC (Gujarat) — world's largest cumin trading market.
Last Updated: February 11, 2026
Citation: Asia Agro Exports (2026). "Cumin Seeds Specifications & Export Data."
https://asiaagroexports.com/data/cumin-seeds-specifications-2026.html
