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Agro IndustriesShea Butter Manufacturer, Nigeria
Glossary

N-RBD

Also written as: neutralised, refined, bleached and deodorised, NRBD, RBD shea butter, refined shea butter

Summary

N-RBD stands for neutralised, refined, bleached and deodorised: the four-stage process that removes free fatty acids, colour pigments and odour compounds from crude shea butter. The result is a white to off-white, near-odourless butter for food, pharmaceutical and fragrance-sensitive cosmetic use.

Refining trades the natural scent and some unsaponifiables for consistency: neutral odour, stable pale colour, and very low free fatty acid and peroxide value — which is what chocolate, food and pharmaceutical buyers need. Free fatty acid cannot be removed without refining. EMI Agro supplies refined N-RBD shea butter.

Neutralisation

Neutralisation is the refining step in which free fatty acids in crude fat react with an a…

Deodorisation

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

Cold-Pressed

Cold-pressed shea butter is extracted from dried kernels by mechanical pressing alone

Cocoa Butter Equivalent (CBE)

A cocoa butter equivalent (CBE) is a vegetable fat blend whose triglycerides match cocoa b…

Full explainer: Refined N-RBD Shea Butter

Refined N-RBD shea butter: white, odourless, very low FFA, for food, CBE, pharma and cosmetics.

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

Last reviewed September 2026 by EMI Agro Industries QC team.