What is Shea Butter? Benefits of Shea Butter Tips for Storage
Transcript of What is Shea Butter? Benefits of Shea Butter Tips for Storage
What is Shea Butter?
Where Does It Come From?
y Native to Africa in a 3,500 mile-wide dry-land zone
south of the Sahara desert and north of the tropical
rainforest
y In 20 countries, notably Benin, Burkina Faso, Cote
d'ivoire, Ghana, Guinea, Mali, Nigeria and Togo
y Traditionally managed and harvested in thefarmlands of Africa
).- Trade promotes sustainable production, therefore
good option for organic and fair-trade certification
How Is Shea Butter Used?Traditionally in Africa
).- As a fat for frying and in sauces
).- Skin cream, hair care and soap-making
).- Medicinal uses
Edible Fat
y Shea stearin (vegetable fat) is used internationally
as an additive to chocolates
).- Used as a vegetable fat in biscuits and pastries
Personal Care Products
).- Soap manufacture - high 'saponifiable' content
y Skin and hair care cosmetics: lotions, creams,
moisturizers
Map courtesy ofwww.pl.OkaT.ite.orQ
Benefits of Shea Butter
).- Shea's moisturizing and regenerative properties have
led to traditional applications such as protecting skin
against UV light and reducing inflammation, stretch
marks, and wrinkles.
y Whole unrefined 'virgin' butter is a preferred
ingredient for use in natural cosmetic products.
).- Pharmaceutical products are being developed with
clinical trials underway for the treatment of eczema,
arthritis, high cholesterol, ete.
The Chemistry of Shea Buttery Dry shea kernels contain 50% oil or fat of which 36
47% is stearin and 33-50% is olein. An unsaponifiable
fraction (2-11 %) includes a range of chemicals with
known bioactive properties:
• Antioxidants such as tocopherols (vitamin E), carotenoids (precursors to vitamin A) and flavon-
oids (including catechins)
• T riterpenes with anti-inflammatory and proteaseinhibition properties (a-amyrin, lupeol, butyrospermol, parkeol-often esterified to cinnamic
acid)
• Phytosterols include campesterol, stigmasterol, 13
sitosterol, a-spinasterol, delta-7-avenasterol
• Polyisoprenic hydrocarbon karitene (up to 2%)
Tips for Storagey Before storage, boiling traditional butter destroys
microorganisms and ensures low water content.
).- Traditional butter can have a shelf-life of up to two
years by avoiding UV, air, metal, humidity and high
temperature during storage.
Tips for Processing
).- Post-harvest processing and selection of kernels
affects butter quality.
y Filtering removes fine particles, but leaves thebeneficial chemicals intact.
y The texture of shea butter can be made smoother by
re-melting and stirring frequently while solidifying.
).- Natural plant dyes can be added to color the butter,
e.g., vibrant yellow-orange color from root material
of Cochlospermum tinctorium.
).- Soap-makers can use lower grades of butter with highFFA.
Y After saponification it is best to "super-fat" with highgrade butter to ensure the beneficial properties are
still present.
).- Shelf-life is longer when there are lower levels of freefatty acids (FFA) « 3%), peroxides « I0%) and water
content «0.2%).
What is Shea Butter?
Where Does It Come From?
y Native to Africa in a 3,500 mile-wide dry-land zonesouth of the Sahara desert and north of the tropical
rainforest
y In 20 countries, notably Benin, Burkina Faso, Cote
d'ivoire, Ghana, Guinea, Mali, Nigeria and Togo
Y Traditionally managed and harvested in thefarmlands of Africa
).- Trade promotes sustainable production, therefore
good option for organic and fair-trade certification
How Is Shea Butter Used?Traditionally in Africa
).- As a fat for frying and in sauces
Y Skin cream, hair care and soap-making
);- Medicinal uses
E.dible Fat
);- Shea stearin (vegetable fat) is used internationally
as an additive to chocolates
).- Used as a vegetable fat in biscuits and pastries
Personal Care Products
Y Soap manufacture - high 'saponifiable' content
);- Skin and hair care cosmetics: lotions, creams,
moisturizers
Map courtesy ofwww.prokal'ite.org
Benefits of Shea Butter
Y Shea's moisturizing and regenerative properties have
led to traditional applications such as protecting skin
against UV light and reducing inflammation, stretch
marks, and wrinkles.
Y Whole unrefined 'virgin' butter is a preferred
ingredient for use in natural cosmetic products.
Y Pharmaceutical products are being developed with
clinical trials underway for the treatment of eczema,
arthritis, high cholesterol, ete.
The Chemistry of Shea ButterY Dry shea kernels contain 50% oil or fat of which 36
47% is stearin and 33-50% is olein. An unsaponifiable
fraction (2-11 %) includes a range of chemicals with
known bioactive properties:
• Antioxidants such as tocopherols (vitamin E), carotenoids (precursors to vitamin A) and flavon-
oids (including catechins)
• T riterpenes with anti-inflammatory and proteaseinhibition properties (a-amyrin, lupeol, butyrospermol, parkeol-often esterified to cinnamic
acid)
• Phytosterols include campesterol, stigmasterol, 13
sitosterol, a-spinasterol, delta-7-avenasterol
• Polyisoprenic hydrocarbon karitene (up to 2%)
Tips for StorageY Before storage, boiling traditional butter destroys
microorganisms and ensures low water content.
);- Traditional butter can have a shelf-life of up to two
years by avoiding UV, air, metal, humidity and high
temperature during storage.
Tips for Processing
).- Post-harvest processing and selection of kernels
affects butter quality.
Y Filtering removes fine particles, but leaves the
beneficial chemicals intact.
).- The texture of shea butter can be made smoother by
re-melting and stirring frequently while solidifying.
).- Natural plant dyes can be added to color the butter,
e.g., vibrant yellow-orange color from root material
of Cochlospermum tinctorium.
);- Soap-makers can use lower grades of butter with highFFA.
);- After saponification it is best to "super-fat" with highgrade butter to ensure the beneficial properties are
still present.
).- Shelf-life is longer when there are lower levels of free
fatty acids (FFA) « 3%), peroxides « I0%) and water
content «0.2%).