Whole Flaxseed: export from Canada to ASEAN

Canada is a major flaxseed origin and the crop splits into two commercial products that look similar and sell differently. Brown flax is the volume trade, going to oil extraction, feed and industrial use. Golden flax carries a premium into food and retail applications where appearance matters.

The specification points are oil content, moisture, foreign material and, for food applications, the microbiological profile: flaxseed is often consumed without a kill step, so buyers supplying ready-to-eat manufacturers should ask about it specifically rather than assume it.

The attribute most relevant to a food buyer is stability. Flax is high in omega-3 fatty acids, which is the health claim it is bought for and also the reason it goes rancid faster than most seeds. Whole seed is far more stable than milled; if you are buying milled you are buying a shorter clock and should be planning the cold chain and turnover accordingly.

Specify brown or golden, the end application, and whether you need a validated microbiological reduction: those three answers change the quote.