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Agro IndustriesShea Butter Manufacturer, Nigeria
Glossary

Cocoa Butter Equivalent (CBE)

Also written as: CBE, cocoa butter equivalents, shea stearin (component)

Summary

A cocoa butter equivalent (CBE) is a vegetable fat blend whose triglycerides match cocoa butter closely enough to be mixed with it in any ratio without changing melting behaviour or tempering. Shea stearin, the hard fraction of shea butter, is a principal CBE ingredient.

Cocoa butter equivalents work because shea stearin is rich in the same symmetrical stearic–oleic–stearic triglyceride that gives cocoa butter its snap and melt; blended with palm mid-fraction it mimics cocoa butter's full profile. See shea butter versus cocoa butter for the comparison.

N-RBD

N-RBD stands for neutralised

Slip Melting Point

Slip melting point (SMP) is the temperature at which a column of solidified fat in an open…

Winterisation

Winterisation is a refining step in which an oil is cooled slowly so that higher-melting f…

Deodorisation

Deodorisation is the final refining stage in which fat is held under high vacuum at high t…

Full explainer: Refined N-RBD for Chocolate (CBE)

Refined N-RBD shea butter for chocolate (CBE): stearic/oleic profile, slip point and the EU 5% vegetable-fat rule. EMI supplies the fat, not chocolate.

Part of the shea butter glossary · Complete guide to shea butter

Last reviewed September 2026 by EMI Agro Industries QC team.