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Where sesame hides: everyday foods and names on the label

Sesame tops burger buns, bagels and crackers and hides in granola bars, dressings and sauces. The foods to check, its other names and who must declare it.

By Bravoora teamPublished 13 October 2026Sources checked 13 October 202610 min read

Burger buns: sesame seeds on top, named in the ingredient list.
Granola bar: tahini, a paste of ground sesame seeds.
Salad dressing: sesame oil, pressed from the seeds.
Crackers: sesame inside a spice mix, named in brackets.

Sample labels for four foods whose names never say sesame. The ingredient list does, and the answer names the person and the printed word.

Key takeaways

Bread such as burger buns and multigrain loaves, breadsticks, crackers and cereals often contain sesame; granola bars, dressings, marinades and sauces can.
Sesame oil is sesame too, whether it is in a stir-fry sauce or in a moisturiser, whose ingredient list prints it as Sesamum Indicum Seed Oil.
Benne, gingelly, til and tahini all mean sesame. In Canada, such a name may not stand on a label without the word sesame.
Sesame must be declared in the EU and UK (on the EU list since 2003), in Canada since 4 August 2012, in the US since 1 January 2023, and in the Gulf under GSO 9. US packs already on sale before 2023 did not have to be relabelled.
Bravoora’s public label dictionary reads 22 printed names as sesame, spelling variants included.

The short answer

Sesame turns up in everyday food: on burger buns, bagels and multigrain bread, in breadsticks, crackers and granola bars, and in dressings, marinades and sauces made with sesame oil. On a label it can also go by benne, gingelly or tahini. The EU, the UK, the US, Canada and the Gulf all require packaged food to declare sesame.

Which everyday foods contain sesame?

Baked goods above all, then cereals and bars, dressings and sauces. Sesame tops burger buns and bagels as whole seeds, and goes into dressings, sauces and bars as oil pressed from the seeds or as a paste of ground seeds^[1]. Health Canada sorts its sources into foods that contain or often contain sesame and other possible sources, and the list below draws on both^[2].

Burger buns and bagels: often topped with sesame seeds^[1]. Health Canada names hamburger buns among the foods that contain or often contain sesame^[2].
Multigrain bread, breadsticks and crackers: on the same list, with breadcrumbs, melba toast, cereals and muesli^[2]. Seeded loaves deserve the same read: Open Food Facts finds sesame seeds in the ingredients of 2,585 bread products, more than in any other food group^[3].
Granola and protein bars: Health Canada names granola bars among the snack foods that can contain sesame^[2]. Snack bars can contain sesame or sesame oil^[1], and some protein bars and energy balls contain tahini, a paste of ground sesame seeds^[4].
Salad dressings, marinades and sauces: possible sources on Health Canada’s list, with gravies and soups^[2]. They can carry sesame seeds, sesame oil or sesame paste^[1].
Stir-fries, sushi and Asian-style sauces: Health Canada lists stir-fries and sesame oil among the foods that contain or often contain sesame^[2], and sushi rolls are often finished with the seeds.
Vegetarian burgers: on Health Canada’s list of foods that contain or often contain sesame^[2].
Seasonings, spice blends and vegetable oil: Health Canada names herbs, seasonings, flavourings and spices as possible sources, and vegetable oil because it may contain sesame oil^[2]. Seed and spice blends such as gomashio include sesame^[1].

Where does sesame turn up outside food?

In cosmetics, medicines and supplements. On skincare and haircare, sesame oil is listed by its INCI name, Sesamum Indicum Seed Oil^[5], and Health Canada names cosmetics, medicines and pet food among the non-food sources of sesame^[2]. In the US, the sesame rule covers dietary supplements as well as food^[6], so a capsule or a protein powder deserves the same read as a snack.

Does a label have to use the word sesame?

Yes, in the EU, the UK, the US and Canada, though not always in the ingredient’s own name: it can sit in brackets or in a “Contains” line. Health Canada lists benne, gingelly, sesamol, Sesamum indicum, sim sim and til among the other names for sesame, and in Canada a name such as benne, gingelly or tahini may not stand on a label without the word sesame^[2]^[7].

A US label names sesame in the ingredient list, in brackets after an ingredient whose name does not say it, or in a “Contains” statement^[8]. A spice mix can be listed simply as “spices”, but sesame inside it must still be declared, in a “Contains” statement or in brackets, as in “spices (sesame)”^[8].

In the EU and the UK, sesame used as an ingredient must be named in the ingredient list and emphasised, for example in bold, whatever it was mixed into^[9]^[10]. So a pack made under these rules prints the word sesame; the other names matter most on older packs and on cosmetics, which follow rules of their own.

Who must declare sesame on a label, and since when?

Every major allergen list names sesame, but each market added it at a different time and asks for it in its own way.

Sesame on the allergen lists, by market (sources checked 10 and 13 October 2026)
Market	Since	What the label must do
EU and UK	On the EU list since Directive 2003/89/EC^[11]; today Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011, which has applied since 13 December 2014^[9]	Name sesame in the ingredient list and emphasise it, for example in bold. The entry covers “sesame seeds and products thereof”, so sesame oil and paste count too^[9]^[10].
United States	1 January 2023: the ninth major food allergen under the FASTER Act, signed on 23 April 2021^[6]	Name sesame in the ingredient list, in brackets where an ingredient’s name does not say it, as in “spices (sesame)”, or in a “Contains” statement, on food and on dietary supplements^[6]^[8].
Canada	4 August 2012, when the enhanced allergen labelling rules came into force^[7]	Name sesame in the ingredient list or in a “Contains” statement. A name such as tahini, benne or gingelly needs the word sesame as well^[2]^[7].
The Gulf (GCC)	One of the 14 allergen groups in the 2013 English text of GSO 9^[12]; GSO 9:2022 is the current edition^[13]	Declare sesame on the label^[12].

Why can a US pack leave sesame off the label?

Because older stock was allowed to stay on sale. The FDA applies its sesame requirements to food from 1 January 2023; products already in interstate commerce before that date did not have to be removed or relabelled, so the FDA says you may still find food that does not list sesame as an allergen^[6].

Some makers went the other way. Since 2023 they have added sesame to products that did not contain it before, and labelled it; the FDA has said it does not support that practice^[14]. A familiar bun or bar deserves a fresh read when its pack changes.

Sesame in open product data and in Bravoora’s checker

Open Food Facts lists sesame seeds, or a more specific kind of them, in the ingredients of 13,664 products, most often bread (2,585), biscuits and cakes (1,266), ready meals (945) and dressings and sauces (856)^[3].
The countries with the most of those products are the United States (5,694), France (3,981) and Belgium (620)^[3].
A sesame seed bun is an ingredient in its own right: 93 products list one, most often sandwiches^[3].
Of the other names this guide gives, the label checker reads “benne”, “benne seeds”, “gingelly”, “gingelly oil”, “sim sim”, “til”, “sesamol”, “Sesamum indicum”, “tahini” and “gomashio” as sesame on their own^[1]^[15].
The public dictionary file lists 22 printed names as sesame, spelling variants included^[15].

Method: product counts from the Open Food Facts product export, read on 13 October 2026 for Bravoora’s ingredient dictionary^[3]. Contains information from Open Food Facts, which is made available here under the Open Database License (ODbL). Each name was run through the free label checker on its own as an ingredient list, with the rules the checker ships: Bravoora’s ingredient guides and the public dictionary file, version 1.5.1, built 1 October 2026^[1]^[15]. A match means the name is printed, not how much sesame the product contains.

Which words on a label mean sesame?

Sesame, sesame seeds, sesame oil, sesame flour, sesame paste: sesame named outright.
Benne, benne seeds, gingelly, gingelly oil, sesamol, sim sim, til: other names for sesame on Health Canada’s list.
Tahini, tahina, tahin: sesame paste, made from ground seeds.
Sesamum Indicum, Sesamum Indicum Seed Oil: the Latin names, used in INCI lists on skincare and haircare.
Gomashio: a seed and spice blend that includes sesame.
Spices, seasoning, flavouring, vegetable oil: collective names that can hold sesame; look for it in brackets or in the “Contains” line.
Multigrain, seeded: words that don’t say which seeds; read the list.

How do you check a pack for sesame in 30 seconds?

Read the “Contains” line, then the whole ingredient list: sesame should be named in one of them.
Look inside the brackets after words such as bun, spices, seasoning or vegetable oil: sesame in a mixed ingredient can be named there, as in “spices (sesame)”.
Translate the other names: benne, gingelly, sesamol, sim sim, til, tahini and Sesamum indicum all mean sesame.
Read a “may contain sesame” line on its own: it warns of cross-contact, it does not list an ingredient.
Paste the list into the free label checker to catch the names you missed. If the list is missing or unreadable, treat the product as unverified.

How does Bravoora check a label for sesame?

Bravoora looks for sesame and its other names in the ingredient list and in the “may contain” lines, and shows the printed word with its meaning: “benne seeds = sesame”. For Emma, whose profile avoids sesame, a name in the list gives “Not for Emma”; a name only in a warning line gives “Heads up”. A plate is different, because it carries no label: for a chicken burger on a sesame seed bun the answer is Heads up, with the line “the sesame seed bun is sesame, ask for a plain bun”. The methodology shows how it is tested.

The same rules run in the free label checker, and its public dictionary is published as open data^[15].

Let Bravoora read the label with you.

Tell it once what matters: your allergens, your diet, the ingredients you watch. Every answer then shows the words it is based on.

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Scope and limits

This guide covers sesame on prepacked food labels in the EU, the UK, the US, Canada and the Gulf, with a note on cosmetics, medicines and supplements. It does not cover restaurant menus or loose food.

Sources were checked on 10 and 13 October 2026; each shows its own date. The Gulf list is quoted from the English text of GSO 9/2013; GSO 9:2022 is the current edition and the place to check for any change since 2013^[12]^[13].

This is general label information, not medical advice. With a diagnosed allergy, follow your clinician’s plan.

Frequently asked questions

Do burger buns contain sesame?

Many do: sesame seeds are a common topping on burger buns and bagels, and Health Canada lists hamburger buns among the foods that often contain sesame. A bun without seeds on top can still list sesame or carry a “may contain” line, so read the pack.

Does sesame oil count as sesame?

Yes. The EU and UK entry covers sesame seeds and products made from them, and Health Canada lists sesame oil among the foods that contain sesame. On skincare it is printed Sesamum Indicum Seed Oil.

What does “spices (sesame)” mean on a label?

A US label may group a spice mix under the word “spices”, but sesame inside it must still be declared: in brackets after the word, as in “spices (sesame)”, or in a “Contains” statement.

Is tahini the same as sesame?

Yes. Tahini is a paste of ground sesame seeds, so a label that lists tahini lists sesame. In the EU, the UK, the US and Canada the word sesame must also appear, in the ingredient list or in a “Contains” line.

Why does a product I have always bought now list sesame?

Since sesame became a major allergen in the US in 2023, some makers have added it to products that did not contain it before, and labelled it. The FDA has said it does not support that practice. Re-read a familiar product when its pack changes.