Organic Sesame (Botanical name Sesamum indicum) is also known as Benne (Till in India). The word Organic Sesame is derived from an Arabic word semsem. In Latin, it is called sesamum in Greek sēsamon. The generalised meaning of all these words is oil, liquid fat. Organic Sesame is widely cultured in tropical parts of Africa and Asia. India, Myanmar, Tanzania, Sudan are some of the largest producers of Organic Sesame. According to 2016 UN Food and Agriculture Organization Corporate Statistical Database around 80% of organic Sesame seeds are cultivated in the monsoon season in India.
Organic Sesame has one of the highest oil contents seed with rich nutritive quality and high stability. Due to the presence of potent antioxidant, organic sesame seeds are known as “the seed of immortality”. There are 3 types of organic sesame seeds i.e. Natural Organic Sesame, Organic Hulled Sesame and Organic Black Sesame. The whole seeds are usually used in Cosmetics, Pharmaceutical and food industries. In the form of oil or flavouring agent or as an ingredient to medicines.
Healthy Uses of Organic Sesame: Organic sesame oil is called as queen of oils because of its high nutritive value. Hulled organic sesame is used in Hamburger. Roasted natural organic sesame is used in bakeries for preparation of breads, cookies and chocolates etc. Hulled organic sesame is used in preparation of Tahini in Middle East countries. As sesame oil is known for its antioxidant properties contributes in Food industry to increase the shelf life of the products. By-product (De-oiled seed) is used in poultry and for cattle feeds.
Medicinal & Pharmaceutical Uses: The anti-oxidants present in organic sesame acts as a defence against the reactive oxygen spices (ROS). ROS are produced by UV light and cause damage to the skin such as wrinkles, sunburns and skin cancer. Application of organic sesame oil with Turmeric and milk on facial skin removes pimples and impurities or dust on the skin. Many pharmaceutical and nutraceuticals industries are developing medicines from sesame. Consumption of sesame increases Vitamin E which prevent cancer and heart diseases. Sesame oil is used in developing solvent and drugs for intramuscular injections, tooth ace. Sesame oil is used as mouth wash because of its antibacterial property, to reduce insomnia.
Demand for Organic products is increasing as people are getting aware of the problems caused my Conventional foods. India is one of the major exporters of best quality organic sesame in the world. Many developed countries like Germany, Canada, USA, Netherland import organic sesame from India.
According to the Indian Oilseeds & Produce Export Promotion Council (IOPEPC), China and EU are among the most important world markets for oilseeds. Despite India being one of the largest exporters for sesame seeds, its exports to China is minimal. The overall imports of sesame seed into China is about 800,000–850,000 tonne and India’s share during 2017-18 was only 6,199 tonne. Overall imports of groundnuts by EU are about 8 lakh tonne, with India exporting only 15,000 tonnes. This not only shows the export result but also the demand for organic sesame in foreign countries.
India is one of the major producers of sesame, which has high nutritive and antioxidant qualities. The crop is rich in macro and micro nutritive values including proteins, nutrition, vitamins, calcium, phosphorus. As analysed by many research institute sesame oil can be used as a substitute for olive oil and the by-products can be used as a supplement for protein food. If Sesame oil is blended with some nutritional oils like soya or rice can be a great advantage with respect to nutritional aspects. Consumption of sesame oil can decrease neurological, Dermatological, cardiac problems.
