Free Fatty Acid (FFA)
Also written as: FFA, free fatty acids, acidity, acid value (related measure, mg KOH/g)
Summary
For unrefined butter, free fatty acid is the most useful predictor of odour and shelf life, and it is fixed at the kernel stage — pressing and filtering cannot lower it. Acid value is the same quantity expressed as milligrams of KOH per gram; the conversion and Grade A limit live on the free fatty acid specification.
Related terms
Lipase
Lipase is an enzyme that splits triglycerides into glycerol and free fatty acids in the pr…
Rancidity
Rancidity is the off-odour and off-flavour a fat develops as it degrades
Peroxide Value (PV)
Peroxide value (PV) measures the primary oxidation products (peroxides and hydroperoxides)…
Neutralisation
Neutralisation is the refining step in which free fatty acids in crude fat react with an a…
Grade A Shea Butter
Grade A shea butter is the top quality class for unrefined shea butter: low free fatty aci…
Full explainer: Free Fatty Acid (FFA)
What FFA measures in shea butter, why it rises in kernels, and how it is tested.
Part of the shea butter glossary · Complete guide to shea butter
Last reviewed September 2026 by EMI Agro Industries QC team.