Sprouting & microgreen seed · from origin

Mustard sprouting seeds for microgreen farms and sprout growers

Untreated · Sortex-cleaned · ISTA-tested · COA per lot · 25 kg bags · MOQ 500 kg

Mustard is the hot, fast, dependable microgreen — the "mustard" half of the classic British mustard-and-cress punnet and the heat in every spicy sprout blend sold in Europe and North America. Kohenoor supplies untreated, food-grade mustard sprouting lots from Pakistan, where brassica seed is grown at scale, Sortex-cleaned and ISTA-tested at origin with lot-specific purity and germination on the COA and the full export document set.

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By Kohenoor Export Desk · reviewed by Usman Hayat, third-generation seed exporter · Updated 2026-10-01

Kohenoor food-grade mustard seed for sprouting and microgreens

In short: Mustard sprouting seed is untreated, food-grade seed of the mustard brassicas — typically brown mustard (Brassica juncea) or white/yellow mustard (Sinapis alba) — cleaned and tested for growing hot, peppery sprouts and microgreens. Kohenoor supplies it from origin: Sortex optical-cleaned, ISTA-tested per lot with purity and germination on the COA, third-party Salmonella and E. coli testing on request, sealed lot-tagged 25 kg bags, 500 kg minimum, FOB Karachi.

Untreated — no coatingSortex optical-cleanedISTA-tested per lotCOA within 24 hThird-party microbial testingLot-tagged traceabilitySince 1957Reply within 24 h

Botanical nameBrassica juncea · Sinapis alba

Sprout time3–5 days sprouts · 6–10 days microgreens

FlavourHot, mustardy, peppery

GerminationLot-specific on COA

MOQ500 kg

Packaging25 kg lot-tagged bags

What mustard sprouts and microgreens are, and who eats them

Mustard sprouts and microgreens are the young seedlings of the mustard brassicas: brown or Indian mustard (Brassica juncea), with its small dark reddish-brown seed, and white or yellow mustard (Sinapis alba), with a larger pale yellow seed. Sprouted in the dark for three to five days they give a slender pale stem and two small green cotyledons with a sharp, hot, unmistakably mustard flavour; grown on under light for six to ten days they make one of the world's best-known microgreens, the "mustard" in mustard-and-cress and the heat in almost every mixed microgreen punnet.

The oldest and largest market is the United Kingdom, where mustard-and-cress has been grown in punnets and sold in every supermarket for over a century, and where mustard remains a standard line for the salad-cress growers who supply the trade. Across Europe — the Netherlands, Germany, France, Scandinavia — mustard is the hot component of mixed sprout and microgreen packs. In North America it is a core microgreen for restaurant suppliers and a frequent component of "spicy sprout" blends with radish and alfalfa. Japan and Korea grow mustard microgreens for food service; the Gulf's new indoor farms grow them for hotels and restaurants; and Australia, Singapore and Hong Kong buy them as a standard line.

Who eats them? The sandwich and salad customer who likes some heat; the restaurant diner who meets mustard microgreens as a garnish on fish, eggs and rich dishes; and the home grower who buys mustard seed in a pouch because, with cress, it is the easiest thing to grow on a windowsill. For the microgreen farm, mustard is a fast, cheap-to-grow, high-flavour tray crop with almost no failure rate when the seed is right, which is why it is in every farm's core range.

Formats differ by market. In the UK, mustard-and-cress is sold living in punnets of about 50 g, by the million, and the sandwich trade buys it cut and bagged. Across Europe and North America, mustard appears cut and packed in microgreen punnets, living in trays for restaurants, and as the hot component of mixed sprout clamshells. Home-growing ranges sell it in pouches, often paired with cress. Demand is continuous, with a lift in the salad season, and punnet growers in particular contract their mustard for the year because a change of lot shows at once in the look of the punnet.

Nutrition: why consumers want mustard microgreens

Mustard seedlings are typically low in calories and supply vitamin C, vitamin K, folate and a spread of minerals, and like all brassica sprouts they are known for their glucosinolates — the sulphur compounds responsible for the heat and the subject of broad research interest across the cabbage family. Microgreens in general are known for carrying concentrated levels of some vitamins and plant compounds relative to the mature plant. We make no claims about any of this; we note it because the "brassica microgreen" story is a strong one in the health-food press and drives real retail demand.

For most consumers the appeal is flavour. A plain lettuce salad with a handful of mustard microgreens has character; a smoked-salmon sandwich with mustard-and-cress is a classic for a reason. The heat is clean and fresh, less sulphurous than mature mustard greens, and it fades quickly on the palate, which is why chefs reach for it as a garnish. Brown mustard is hotter and more pungent; white mustard is milder with a slightly larger, more decorative seedling. Both are used, and many growers alternate or blend them.

Texture and appearance depend on the seed. A high-germination, uniform lot gives a dense, even tray of straight seedlings of one height — the picture-perfect punnet the trade wants. A poor lot gives a patchy, uneven tray with weak stems, and a patchy microgreen tray sold whole is a rejected tray. For a species grown in such volume on such tight margins, the germination percentage and uniformity of the seed are the whole game.

How mustard is sprouted and grown commercially

Mustard is one of the easiest seeds a commercial grower can run, and one of the fastest. The ranges below are those producers typically report.

Seed treatment. Applied by the sprout operation under its own validated procedure. Seed arrives untreated.
Soak — or not. Mustard seed produces a gel of mucilage when wetted, so most microgreen growers do not soak it at all: they sow dry on a moist medium and mist. Sprout growers using drums or racks give a short 2–4 hour soak and rinse the mucilage away thoroughly.
Germinate. At around 18–22 °C in the dark for two to three days with regular misting or rinsing. Mustard emerges fast and evenly; a good lot shows roots within 24 hours.
Sprouts. Harvest at 3–5 days in the dark for a pale, hot sprout for mixed clamshells.
Microgreens. Move to light after the blackout and grow on to 6–10 days, harvesting when the cotyledons are fully open and before the first true leaf, typically at 4–7 cm. Mustard-and-cress growers sow mustard a day or two after cress so the two reach harvest height together.
Yield. For microgreens, yield is quoted by tray and depends on seeding density and height; for hypocotyl sprouts, growers typically report in the region of 4–6 kg per kilogram of seed after rinsing.

Kohenoor research plots where mustard and other brassica sprouting lines are evaluated

Three practical notes. The mucilage is natural and harmless but it holds water against the seed; sow at a sensible density and keep air moving so the surface does not stay wet. Mustard stretches and weakens above about 24 °C, so a cool room gives a stockier, better-looking tray. And white mustard, with its larger seed, is sown at a lower weight per tray than brown for the same density; growers switching types should adjust.

The common faults a grower meets with mustard are easy to trace. Thin patches with ungerminated seed point to an old or treated lot; insist on a current test and an untreated declaration. Long, pale, falling seedlings point to a room that is too warm or a blackout that ran too long. A surface that stays slimy points to the mucilage holding water with too little air movement; a fan and a slightly lower seeding density settle it. And a punnet with off-type seedlings — rounder leaves, different colour — points to brassica weed seed in the lot, which is a cleaning failure at origin.

What a professional buyer should specify

Mustard is traded in huge volumes as a spice and condiment seed and as an agricultural cover-crop and oilseed, and none of those grades is sprouting seed: condiment mustard may be fumigated or heat-treated, agricultural mustard is often fungicide-dressed, and neither is germination-tested to a food-grade standard or tested for human pathogens. Your purchase specification should be explicit. Our lots are documented against the following.

Parameter	What to ask for	Kohenoor mustard sprouting lots
Species	Brown (B. juncea) or white/yellow (S. alba), declared	Declared on tag and COA
Germination	Minimum %, ISTA method, current-season test	Lot-specific on ISTA certificate and COA
Physical purity	Minimum % pure seed	Lot-specific on COA
Other crop / weed seed	Maximum count; other brassicas and wild mustards especially	Removed by screen, gravity and optical sorting
Inert matter	Maximum %, no stones, soil, pod fragments	Within purity figure
Moisture	Maximum % for safe transit	Stated on COA
Treatment status	Untreated, unfumigated, no fungicide dressing — in writing	Untreated — on COA and tag
Microbiology	Salmonella, E. coli/STEC, third-party laboratory	Per lot on request
Allergen handling	Mustard is a declared allergen in the EU and some other markets; cross-contact controls declared	Documented clean-down between lots
Traceability	Lot ID on every bag	Sealed lot tags, field→bag→warehouse

Treatment deserves the most attention. Agricultural mustard seed is very commonly fungicide-dressed, and a coloured dressing on small dark seed is easy to miss. Natural brown mustard is matte reddish-brown to dark brown; natural white mustard is matte pale yellow; anything bright, glossy or uniformly tinted should be questioned. Ours is untreated and the statement is on the documents.

Mustard is a declared allergen in the European Union and several other jurisdictions, so EU buyers will want our allergen-control statement for their supplier file; it is supplied with the lot documents. Ask also for a current germination test; mustard keeps reasonably well but, like radish, loses viability faster than alfalfa in warm, humid storage.

Incoming-quality checks are quick with mustard because it germinates so fast. On arrival, draw a sample from several bags, count out four lots of one hundred seeds and germinate them on moist paper at around 20 °C; count normal seedlings at four to five days and compare with the COA. Look over a handful with a hand lens for tinted, glossy or coated seed and for off-type seed; natural brown mustard is matte and reddish-brown to dark brown, natural white mustard is matte pale yellow. Photograph anything that does not match the documents and send us the lot ID the same day.

Why origin and cleaning matter for mustard

Mustard is a brassica, and the brassica cleaning problem is other brassicas. Wild mustard, charlock, wild radish and other cruciferous weeds produce seed close to mustard in size, shape and weight, and a field with a weed problem yields a lot that is physically pure to the eye but contains off-type seed that will germinate alongside the crop. In a microgreen tray that is an off-type seedling in the punnet; for a buyer who tests varietal purity, it is a rejected lot. The only answers are clean fields and good cleaning, and both start at origin.

Seed cleaning plant where Kohenoor mustard sprouting lots are screened, gravity-separated and optically sorted

Our cleaning sequence is air-screen cleaning for pod fragments, stems and light seed; gravity separation for immature seed and any soil or small stones; and Sortex optical sorting as the final pass. On mustard the optical sorter does two jobs: it rejects shrivelled, weathered and insect-marked seed that will not germinate, and — because the common brassica weeds differ from mustard in colour and surface — it removes most off-type seed as well. The result is a lot of uniform, plump seed of consistent colour that emerges together.

Origin also matters for germination and microbial load. Brassica seed harvested in a long dry season at low moisture starts life with high vigour and low mould counts; seed harvested wet does not. And because the grower, the cleaner and the exporter are one company, the lot carries one continuous record under one lot ID.

Food safety and documents for mustard sprouting seed

Mustard seed intended for sprouting is a food ingredient — and in the EU an allergen — under the rules of every major importing market. The export desk prepares the full document set for each consignment.

EU Regulation 208/2013 — lot-level traceability of seeds for sprouting one step back and one step forward. Sealed lot tags and lot-referenced invoice and packing list supply it.
EU Regulation 211/2013 — the import certificate for sprouts and seeds for sprouting into the Union, attesting production under hygiene conditions equivalent to EU rules; we prepare the supporting documentation with the competent authority.
US FDA Produce Safety Rule, sprout provisions — our COA, lot documents and third-party microbiology reports serve the seed-provenance section of your sprout safety plan.
Certificate of Analysis within 24 hours: species, germination, purity, moisture, untreated status, lot ID, cross-referenced to the ISTA Orange Certificate.
Third-party microbiology for Salmonella and E. coli/STEC on request per lot, by an independent accredited laboratory.
Allergen-control statement for EU and other markets where mustard is a declared allergen.
Phytosanitary certificate under the IPPC, certificate of origin, commercial invoice, packing list and bill of lading.
Food-contact packaging declaration for the poly liner and PP bag, meeting FDA and EU food-grade requirements.

Microgreen growers whose product is sold on the medium or with roots are generally outside the sprout-specific rules but within general produce-safety law; the same seed documentation serves them. Kohenoor is ISO 9001 and HACCP certified, and the food safety and testing page sets out the programme.

Kohenoor's quality process for mustard lots

Mustard lots for the sprouting programme are sourced from fields with clean brassica-weed histories and harvested dry. Each lot is sampled under ISTA rules and tested in our laboratory for germination, purity and moisture before release, then sent for the ISTA Orange Certificate. Because mustard is so often grown as a microgreen, we also run a tray trial on each lot under light, which shows us density, stem uniformity and colour — what the punnet buyer actually pays for.

Kohenoor seed testing laboratory where mustard sprouting lots are germination-tested and tray-trialled

The cleaning line runs air-screen, gravity and Sortex stages with a documented clean-down between lots, which also serves allergen segregation; the food-grade sprouting run is kept apart from any agricultural or spice seed. Bags are filled on the line, weighed, sealed and tagged with lot ID, species, test date and net weight. Retained samples are held from every lot, so a question from your quality team can be answered against the seed you received. The lot ID ties together field record, cleaning record, laboratory results, tray trial and microbiology report.

A person on the export desk — Pakistan, Dubai or Australia — answers within 24 hours in English, Arabic, Spanish or French, sends current lot documents with the quotation and stays with the order through to clearance at your port.

Packaging, minimum order, lead time and payment

Packaging. 25 kg net in poly-lined polypropylene woven bags with a sealed lot tag. Private-label and OEM bags and retail-ready pouches are available; mustard is a standard item in home-growing ranges — often packed with cress as a pair — and we fill consumer pouches at origin for several re-packers.

Minimum order. 500 kg (20 bags) per species. Mustard is usually one line in a mixed container with cress, radish, alfalfa and other species; the minimum applies per species.

Lead time. In-stock lots ready for FOB Karachi vessel loading within 7–12 days of order confirmation. A fresh microbiology report or special packaging may add a few days.

Terms and payment. FOB Karachi, CFR or CIF on request. Payment 100% TT against bill of lading copy or irrevocable letter of credit at sight; easier terms for repeat buyers.

Destinations. USA, EU and UK, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, Hong Kong, GCC, Australia and more. Store mustard seed cool and dry on arrival and plan to use a lot within the season for best tray performance.

For container planning, 25 kg bags palletise at roughly 40 bags to the tonne, and a 20-foot container carries on the order of 18–20 MT of bagged seed. UK punnet growers commonly build a container around cress and mustard with radish as the third line; restaurant-supply microgreen farms take mustard with radish, cress, fennel, basil and onion. Each species is tagged and documented separately so every lot keeps its identity through customs and into your traceability and allergen records.

Who buys mustard sprouting seed from Kohenoor

Microgreen farms are the largest group of mustard buyers: mustard is a core tray crop for restaurant suppliers and salad packers everywhere, and in the UK the mustard-and-cress growers take it in volume. See for microgreen farms.

Commercial sprout growers use mustard as the heat in spicy sprout blends with radish and alfalfa. See for commercial sprout growers.

Health-food distributors and re-packers list mustard in home-growing ranges, often paired with cress. See for health-food distributors.

Private-label brands have us pack under their own name at origin. See for private-label brands.

Importers serving European and East Asian microgreen sectors order mustard, cress and radish together as a standing brassica programme.

The questions these buyers ask us first are consistent. Is the seed untreated — yes, no fungicide dressing, declared in writing. Brown or white, and can we have both — yes, as separate tagged lots. Is the germination test current — yes, the ISTA certificate on the actual lot comes with the quotation. Can you supply an allergen statement for the EU — yes, with the lot documents. Can you supply a microbiology report — yes, independent laboratory, per lot on request. Will it run evenly through our seeder — it is screen-sized and optically sorted, and a sample will show you. And can it travel with our cress and radish in one container — yes, each species documented separately.

Blends and the rest of the sprouting range

Mustard is a blending seed par excellence. Mustard-and-cress is the classic pairing; mustard, radish and cress is the standard spicy microgreen mix; mustard with alfalfa and radish is the "spicy sprout" clamshell; and a little mustard in a mild mix of alfalfa, clover and fennel gives it lift. Everything below ships with the same documents in the same container.

Cress — mustard's traditional partner; same equipment, overlapping timetable.
Radish — the other hot brassica; together they are the spicy punnet.
Alfalfa and clover — the mild legume base that mustard seasons.
Fenugreek — a bitter legume note for a more complex blend.
Mung bean and chickpea — thick legume sprouts for cooking.
Sesame, fennel, onion and basil — specialist microgreens for the chef's tray.

The whole range is compared on the sprouting seeds hub. Custom blends are mixed and packed at origin after a laboratory tray trial.

Typical blend (by seed weight)	Mustard	Partners	Character
Mustard-and-cress	about 50%	cress 50%	The British classic
Spicy microgreen punnet	about 30%	radish 40%, cress 30%	The standard restaurant mix
Spicy sprout	about 15%	alfalfa 50%, radish 35%	Hot, crisp, for sandwiches

Mustard and radish grow on a similar timetable and can be sown together; cress is sown a day or two earlier, alfalfa is sprouted separately and combined at packing. These proportions are common starting points rather than a formula; a laboratory tray trial shows you the punnet before you commit a container.

How to order mustard sprouting seed in three steps

1. Send your requirement. WhatsApp +92 310 4929292 or email export@kohenoorint.com with species (brown, white or both), quantity, destination port, any specification your quality system needs and whether you want a sample first. Samples of current lots are available.

2. Receive the quotation and lot documents. Within 24 hours: quotation FOB Karachi (or CFR/CIF), COA and ISTA certificate for the proposed lot, allergen statement where required, and a shipping schedule.

3. Confirm and ship. On your purchase order and payment arrangement we book the vessel, complete the phytosanitary and origin certificates and load within 7–12 days for stock lots. The document set reaches you by email before the vessel arrives.

Frequently asked questions

Is it untreated?

Yes. Every mustard sprouting lot we ship is natural, untreated seed: no fungicide, no insecticide, no coating or pelleting of any kind. Treated seed is never food-grade and we keep sprouting lots physically and administratively separate from our agricultural seed. The untreated status is written on the COA and on the lot tag.

Do you test for Salmonella and E. coli?

On request, each lot is sampled and sent to an independent third-party laboratory for Salmonella and E. coli/STEC testing, and the report travels with the lot documents. Many buyers also run their own incoming-quality checks, and we encourage that; we will supply retained samples and the sampling record so your laboratory can correlate results with ours.

Can you supply organic?

Yes. Organic-certified mustard lots (USDA NOP, EU Organic or JAS) are available subject to a 5 MT minimum and a 60–90 day lead time, because organic lots are grown and cleaned to order under certified handling. Tell us which certification your market needs and we will confirm the programme for the season.

What are the MOQ and lead time?

The minimum order for mustard sprouting seed is 500 kg. In-stock lots ship within 7–12 days to FOB Karachi vessel loading. Transit time then depends on the destination port; your forwarder or ours will give you the sailing schedule when we confirm the order.

Do you do private label?

Yes. Beyond our standard 25 kg poly-lined PP woven bags with sealed lot tags, we offer private-label and OEM packaging, and retail-ready pouches, clamshells and sleeves on request. Send your artwork and pack sizes and we will quote the packaging alongside the seed.

Which countries do you ship to?

We ship FOB Karachi (CFR/CIF on request) to the USA, EU and UK, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, Hong Kong, the GCC states, Australia and many other destinations. Kohenoor serves buyers in 70+ countries and has offices in Pakistan, Dubai and Australia, so there is usually someone in or near your time zone.

Brown or white mustard for microgreens?

Brown mustard (Brassica juncea) is hotter and more pungent, with a small dark seed and a fine seedling; it is the usual choice for spicy mixes. White or yellow mustard (Sinapis alba) is milder, with a larger pale seed and a slightly bigger, more decorative seedling; it is traditional in British mustard-and-cress. Many farms grow both. Order a sample of each with its COA and trial them in your own trays.

Should I soak mustard seed before sowing?

For microgreens, usually not. Mustard seed produces a natural mucilage when wetted, and most growers sow it dry on a moist medium and mist, which avoids a gel that holds water against the seed. Sprout growers using drums or racks give a short 2–4 hour soak and rinse thoroughly. Either way, good air movement and a sensible seeding density keep the tray clean.