The short answer
Indian cumin is graded mainly by purity: the share of the lot, by weight, that is clean cumin seed rather than other seeds, stalks, dust or broken matter. Export grades are commonly sold at 99% and 99.5% purity. Sortex refers to optical sorting machines that remove discoloured seeds and foreign matter, giving a cleaner, more uniform lot.
Where Indian cumin comes from
India is the world’s largest producer and consumer of cumin, and almost all of it grows in Rajasthan and Gujarat, where the dry winters suit the crop. Unjha, in Gujarat, is one of the world’s largest cumin markets, and buyers everywhere watch its prices.
Purity: the number that defines the grade
Cumin straight from the field contains stalks, dust, sand, broken seed and seeds of other plants. Cleaning removes these; the purity figure tells you how much clean cumin is left. A 99.5% lot has half as much non-cumin matter as a 99% lot, which matters for appearance, grinding yield and food-safety checks.
| Grade (by purity) | What it means | Typically used for |
|---|---|---|
| 99% purity | Machine-cleaned; up to 1% other matter | Grinding, seasoning blends, food manufacturing |
| 99.5% purity, Sortex-cleaned | Machine-cleaned and optically sorted; up to 0.5% other matter | Whole-seed packs, premium blends, demanding markets |
Purity, admixture and other limits are agreed in the specification and confirmed with you in writing for every order.
What Sortex cleaning does
After sieving and gravity separation, Sortex machines scan the seed stream with cameras and blow out anything the wrong colour or shape: discoloured or damaged seeds, stones and other seeds. The result is a brighter, more uniform lot with less foreign matter.
What to put in your cumin specification
- Purity (for example 99% or 99.5%) and whether Sortex-cleaned
- Maximum admixture: other seeds, stalks and extraneous matter
- Maximum moisture
- Volatile oil content, if aroma strength matters for your product
- Whole seed, or ground to a stated mesh size
- Testing your market requires, such as Salmonella, aflatoxin, pesticide residues and heavy metals
- Packing: for example 10, 25 or 50 lb bulk bags
Every lot we supply is tested by an independent third-party laboratory in India against the specification agreed with you, with a certificate of analysis (COA) before shipment.
Questions buyers ask
What does 99.5% purity cumin mean?
That at least 99.5% of the lot by weight is clean cumin seed, with no more than 0.5% other matter such as stalks, dust or other seeds.
Is Sortex-cleaned cumin worth it?
For whole-seed packs and demanding markets, usually yes: optical sorting removes discoloured seeds and foreign matter that sieving alone leaves behind.
Can I buy ground cumin?
Yes. Tell us the mesh size and use, and we agree the specification with you before we quote.