Shea butter

The precious butter from the shea nut

Due to the high content of stearic acid, shea butter has a high melting point and is therefore particularly suitable for the food and cosmetics industry.

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Our Shea butter qualities

We carry Shea butter in the following qualities for you

Shea butter pressed and refined for food

Shea butter pressed and refined for food

Shea butter pressed and refined

Shea butter pressed and refined

Shea butter refined melting point 43°C

Shea butter refined melting point 43°C

Shea olein refined

Shea olein refined

Organic shea butter refined for food

Organic shea butter refined for food

Organic shea butter refined

Organic shea butter refined

Organic shea butter refined UEBT

Organic shea butter refined UEBT

Organic shea butter natural UEBT

Organic shea butter natural UEBT

Usage

 Öle & Fette für die Kosmetikindustrie
Cosmetics
Öle & Fette für die Lebensmittelindustrie
Food
Öle & Fette für die Pharmaindustrie
Pharmaceutics
Shea butter pressed and refined for food  
Shea butter pressed and refined    
Shea butter refined melting point 43°C    
Shea olein refined    
Organic shea butter refined for food  
Organic shea butter refined    
Organic shea butter refined UEBT  
Organic shea butter natural UEBT    
INCI name: Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
CAS number: 194043-92-0 / 91080-23-8
Botanical name: Vitellaria paradoxa

Shea tree & shea nut

Shea butter is obtained from the crushed kernels (seeds) of the shea nut tree (Butyrospermum parkii) by pressing and then refined. Raw materials are not traded.

The up to 10-20 m high, gnarled shea nut tree, which grows wild in the tropics, is of local importance as a supplier of fat. It is also known as the shea tree, shea butter tree or African butter tree. The ovary of the shea tree contains yellow to greenish berries of the size of an apricot with a chestnut-sized, 4 cm wide seed (kernel).

While birds, elephants and humans like to eat the berries, shea butter is obtained by pressing of the kernels (oil content 34-57%). The shea tree has not yet been cultivated on plantations, as it is only fertile after about 25 years. A shea tree can live for over 200 years and is part of the natural environment in the West African bush.

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Cultivation & yield

The shea tree grows exclusively in West and East Africa, deposits on other continents are not yet known. In the West African Sahel zone with its typical dark red soil and lush green trees, the shea season begins with the rainy season in May-April. Between Sahara and wet savannah on an area of almost 3 million square kilometers, the so-called shea belt, the shea fruits ripen on more than 800 million wild shea trees. In the Sahel zone, about 10 million female collectors live on the shea harvest. The shea fruits are mainly collected wild by women in the bush. Traditionally, the harvest season is started with a festival.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has estimated a harvest of about 550,000 tons of shea nuts per year.

Background / History

The shea fruit has always been used by the locals. The pulp with the sweetish taste was used as food, the oil was used for external application due to its moisturizing effect.

Our packaging

180 kg
Drum

25 kg
Bucket

25 kg
Box


General durability: bucket & box 12 months, drum 18 months

Nutritional values & composition

Nutritional value(per 100 g)
Energy3700 kJ / 900 kcal
Fat100 g
Saturated fatty acids48 g
Monounsaturated fatty acids46 g
Polyunsaturated fatty acids6 g

Fatty acid ratio

Composition

C16:0 Palmitic acid3 – 9 %
C18:0 Stearic acid32 – 50 %
C18:1 Oleic acid40 – 57 %

You want to buy Shea butter?

Ask Gustav Heess now free of charge and without obligation. We deliver Shea butter ...

  • worldwide
  • fast
  • reliable

We offer Shea butter in the following packaging units:

  • 180 kg
    Drum
  • 25 kg
    Bucket
  • 25 kg
    Box

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