M
ilk made from sesame seed is a relatively new innovation from Thai-based Sesame Foods Co., Ltd with its first product launch, Sesamilk in 2018.
According to Siripen Suntornmonkongsri, CEO of Sesame Foods, “We are the world’s first sesame milk manufacturer that extracted milk from natural sesame seed. We first launched our products in Thailand and Japan. Until now, Sesamilk is available only in Thailand, Japan, China, Macau, Hongkong, Malaysia, Vietnam and America. We have 4 SKUs. Unsweetened white sesame milk (1 litre), Unsweetened black sesame milk (1 litre), Original white sesame milk (200ml) and Original black sesame milk (200ml).”
But this is about to change soon as the company participated in Thaifex Anuga Asia in late-May this year to expand to other overseas markets. Sesame seeds have been used for thousands of years as a herbal medicine. It also has many food applications from making oil to using it as toppings.
Sesamilk is manufactured using only premium grade natural Thai sesame seed. According to Suntornmonkongsri, “Unlike conventional milk, Sesamilk does not contain sugar, gluten and cholesterol. Plant-based milk, on the other hand, does not have added sugar but it sometimes contain sugar naturally or sugar formed during the production process. In addition, Sesamilk does not contain oil or refine oil which is commonly used in plant-based milk products to create the mouthfeel effect but not good for health.”
On the environmental front, sesame is also a highly sustainable and drought-resistant crop. Growing sesame requires lesser use of water and lower carbon emission than soy, oat or almond.
Sesamilk target market includes health conscious consumers who are also concerned of the environment. Sesamilk currently retails at Bt 129 (US$3.61) for unsweetened white and black sesame milk (1 litre) and Bt 87 (US$2.45) per pack of three 200ml original white and black sesame milk. Both are available in UHT TetraPak with a long shelf life of 16 months under normal room temperature.
In 2023, Sesame Foods aims to expand its export market to EU, Middle East and Australia. In addition, the company is also planning to expand its portfolio of sesame products to include ice cream and other café-related products.
