SWEET SUNNAH ETHIOPIAN
COMPANY INFO
Sweet Sunnah is a family-owned business located in Liberty, New York, where both manufacturing and packaging are carried out at their 12,000 sq. ft. facility. The company specializes in a range of natural herbal supplements, with black seed oil appearing to be one of their flagship products.
● On March 20, 2025, we reached out via email requesting detailed information and any existing lab analyses related to their black seed oil. Unfortunately, we did not receive a response. All information presented here was obtained through independent research using publicly available online sources.
It’s worth noting that only three companies responded to our inquiry: Piping Rock, Bionatal, and Prime Natural.
PACKING AND SAFETY SEAL
The oil is packaged in a standard amber glass bottle with a thin plastic cap, typical of many black seed oil brands on the U.S. market. A transparent shrink wrap is used for tamper evidence. Upon removing the shrink wrap, oil leakage was observed, which is a common issue with this type of bottle and cap. Inside the cap is a basic liner, but there is no foil or inner seal on the bottle neck.
● The overall sealing is insufficient to prevent leaks, particularly during high temperatures, when black seed oil can expand by up to 20% during transport. This is exactly what happened.
SEEDS ORIGIN
Unlike Sweet Sunnah's Premium oil — which requires visiting the website to identify seed origin — this specific product includes the origin on the label itself. According to the packaging, the seeds used in this oil are sourced from Ethiopia.
At the same time, the label on the Ethiopian black seed oil — like the one on the Premium black seed oil — states that the seeds are cultivated in different regions, and the taste and color may vary from batch to batch. This statement creates significant confusion, as the label directly claims the oil is of Ethiopian origin.
OIL DISCRIPTION
The oil has a light yellow, cloudy appearance, which is not typical of authentic Ethiopian black seed oil. Based on our experience and observations, this oil closely resembles Sweet Sunnah Premium, which is made from Turkish seeds.
It has a pleasant herbal aroma and a moderate, soft bitterness. Despite being labeled as “Ethiopian,” the flavor profile, color, and bitterness suggest that this oil is identical to the Turkish-origin oil found in Sweet Sunnah Premium, and matches other brands such as Piping Rock, Prime Natural, Kiva, Zhou Nutrition, and Maju. It also shows minor differences when compared to Freshfield, Healths Harmony, Rawya, and Rawya Extra Strong.
THYMOQUINONE (TQ)
The product label does not indicate the thymoquinone (TQ) content, but the Amazon product title claims a TQ level of 3.43%. This figure could be considered reasonable for Ethiopian black seed oil derived from high-altitude seeds farm.
However, based on the soft bitterness and overall profile of the oil we received, we believe it does not originate from Ethiopian seeds.
If this oil is, in fact, produced from Turkish seeds, like Sweet Sunnah’s Premium oil, then the more realistic TQ level would be approximately 1.71% (TQ of Sweet Sunnah Premium), which is consistent with the moderate bitterness typical of Turkish black seed oil.
TABLE OF ANALYSIS
Extraction oil videos & photos
NO
Acids pH level analyses
NO
Nigellon level
NO
Non-filtered oil with seeds
NO
Thymoquinone level
YES
Volatile Oils level
NO
Cold press method analyses
NO
Thymohydroquinone level
NO
Heavy Metals level analyses
NO
Thymol level
NO
Industry Clarifications:
(The following industry points are worth noting)
-
"Unrefined" ≠ Non-Filtered: Even unrefined oils are typically filtered and don’t contain seed particles.
-
"Cold Press" misuse on the label: The term is widely used without proof. True cold pressing should be validated by testing for compounds like Benzo(a)pyrene and related PAHs.
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"Organic" ≠ Pesticide-Free: USDA standards still allow natural pesticides (§§ 205.601 - 205.602). No Nigella sativa seeds are entirely free from them.
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"Non-GMO" claims are unnecessary: Nigella sativa is not genetically modified, and global demand doesn’t justify GMO cultivation.
FINAL RANKING #BUSTED
Surprisingly, Sweet Sunnah’s so-called Ethiopian black seed oil turned out to be identical to the company’s Premium Turkish oil. There was no detectable difference in taste, bitterness, flavor, or color — clearly revealing that this is not authentic Ethiopian oil.
This is a serious misrepresentation that not only misleads uninformed customers but also contributes to confusion and speculation within the black seed oil market.
While the oil itself is of decent quality — and for that reason, Sweet Sunnah Premium holds a respectable spot at position #4-B in our ranking — the use of a false label earns this product a #BUSTED status. It’s not the oil that failed, but the fake title that breaks trust.
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