Flaxseed

Flaxseed serves two industries that barely speak to each other. On the food side it is an omega-3 and dietary fibre ingredient, sold whole for bakery topping and inclusion or milled for nutritional applications. On the industrial side the same crop is crushed for linseed oil, whose high linolenic content makes it dry into a hard film — the basis of oil paints, putty, linoleum and wood finishes. The commercial risk in flax is oxidation. High linolenic oil is exactly what makes the seed valuable and exactly what makes milled flax go rancid quickly. Whole seed is stable for far longer than milled seed, so unless you have a stabilised milling process and cold-chain packaging, buy whole seed and mill close to use. Brown and golden flax are nutritionally similar; the choice is usually visual, driven by how the seed will look in a finished bakery product.

Brown flaxseed: The main commercial class; food, feed and crushing. Golden flaxseed: Lighter seed coat used where appearance in bakery matters. Whole seed: Stable in storage; the default export presentation. Milled flax: Supplied only against a defined shelf-life and packaging specification.

Purity — Typically 99 %+ after cleaning for food grade. Moisture — Normally 8–10 % maximum at loading. Oil content — Commonly around 38–44 %; confirmed per lot. Free fatty acid — Relevant for crushing lots; stated where required. Admixture — Other seeds and foreign material limited per contract. Values vary by grade, crop year and supplier and are confirmed against supplier documentation at quotation.

Canada is a long-established flaxseed origin, with production concentrated in Saskatchewan and Manitoba. The crop supplies both the food-grade export trade and oilseed crushing. Buyers with food-grade programmes should confirm the traceability and testing package their market requires at the enquiry stage, since food and industrial flax are handled to different standards even when they come from the same growing region. Origin, availability, grade and certification are confirmed at quotation for the lot actually offered — origin is a supply attribute, never an assumed property of the product.

Separate food-grade and industrial-grade enquiries; the testing package and price basis differ. · Milled product requires an agreed shelf life and barrier packaging — specify it before contracting. · Quoted FOB, CFR or CIF.

Commonly relevant documentation: Certificate of Analysis · Phytosanitary Certificate · Certificate of Origin · GMO status declaration · Pesticide residue report on request. Availability is confirmed per order and per destination.