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Agro IndustriesShea Butter Manufacturer, Nigeria
Glossary

Peroxide Value (PV)

Also written as: PV, POV, peroxide number

Summary

Peroxide value (PV) measures the primary oxidation products (peroxides and hydroperoxides) present in a fat, reported in milliequivalents of active oxygen per kilogram (meq O₂/kg). In shea butter it indicates how far oxidative rancidity has progressed.

Peroxide value rises with exposure to air, light and heat during storage and transport, so it is the storage-history parameter where free fatty acid is the kernel-history parameter. Peroxides later break down into secondary products, so a low reading alone is not proof of freshness; read it with FFA and odour on the peroxide value specification. The usual method is AOCS Cd 8-53.

Rancidity

Rancidity is the off-odour and off-flavour a fat develops as it degrades

Free Fatty Acid (FFA)

Free fatty acid (FFA) is the share of a fat's fatty acids that have broken away from their…

Iodine Value

Iodine value (IV) is the grams of iodine absorbed by 100 grams of fat

Deodorisation

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

Full explainer: Peroxide Value (PV)

Peroxide value as the first oxidation marker in shea butter storage.

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

Last reviewed September 2026 by EMI Agro Industries QC team.