How to Read a Shea Butter COA
The header tells you whether the certificate can be trusted; the nine numbers tell you whether the butter can. Here is how to read both.
Summary
- What a COA is
- Batch-specific lab results, not a typical spec sheet
- Minimum header
- Supplier, product and grade, batch, production date, sampling date, laboratory, methods, signatory
- Parameters on a complete shea COA
- FFA, peroxide value, moisture, refractive index, saponification value, unsaponifiables, melting point, colour, iodine value
- Units to expect
- FFA % as oleic · PV meq O₂/kg · moisture % · RI (dimensionless, at 40 °C) · SAP mg KOH/g · unsaponifiables % · melting point °C · IV g I₂/100 g · colour Lovibond or descriptive
- Common conversion
- Acid value (mg KOH/g) ≈ FFA % (oleic) × 1.99
COA vs spec sheet vs TDS
A specification sheet or technical data sheet states what the supplier promises — ranges. A certificate of analysis states what one batch measured — single values. If the document shows ranges instead of single measured values, it is a specification, not a certificate of analysis. “Typical” wording is the same problem in different clothes.
Parameter ranges are on the shea butter specifications hub. The glossary definition of a certificate of analysis is the short form of this distinction. Use a spec sheet to qualify a supplier; use a batch COA to accept a shipment.
Reading the header
Trust the header before you trust the numbers. A certificate without a batch number, without methods, or signed by nobody is not evidence of the drums on your dock. The packing list and the invoice should agree with the header; that is how the export document set hangs together.
| Field | What to expect | Red flag |
|---|---|---|
| Supplier legal name and address | Matches the invoice; registration number ideally shown | Supplier name differs from the invoice |
| Product name and grade | Grade A unrefined or refined N-RBD, matching the pro-forma | Grade missing or disagrees with the order |
| Batch or lot number | Matches drum labels and the packing list | No batch number |
| Production date | A calendar date for the batch | Production date missing |
| Sampling date and sampling plan | Composite of N drums, or per drum | No sampling date or plan |
| Analysis date | On or after the sampling date | Analysis date older than the shipment by many months, with no retest |
| Laboratory | In-house or third-party; accreditation if any | Laboratory not identified |
| Test method per parameter | AOCS or ISO reference | Methods absent |
| Units | Per parameter, including reference acid and temperature where relevant | Units missing or mixed without a note |
| Specification column | The limit each result is judged against | No specification column |
| Result column | Single measured values | Ranges or the word typical |
| Signatory name and role | A named QC or laboratory manager | Unsigned |
| Document or revision number | A unique document identity | No document identity at all |
The nine parameters, one by one
| Parameter | Unit | Measures | Red flag looks like | Spec page |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free fatty acid (FFA) | % (as oleic acid) | FFA measures hydrolytic breakdown of the fat; it is set by kernel handling before pressing, not by filtration afterwards. | Acid value shown with no FFA line and no conversion; FFA well above the grade claimed | FFA |
| Peroxide value (PV) | meq O₂/kg | Peroxide value is the first oxidation marker; a rising PV on a stored lot is a storage or age problem, not a pressing problem. | Well above the grade limit, or a rising trend on a stored lot | PV |
| Moisture and volatiles | % | Moisture above a tight band accelerates hydrolysis and microbial risk in an otherwise anhydrous fat. | Method not stated — oven-loss and Karl Fischer results differ | Moisture |
| Refractive index | at 40 °C | Refractive index is an identity check: a value outside the shea range suggests a different fat or a blend. | No temperature stated, or a value outside the identity range | RI |
| Saponification value | mg KOH/g | Saponification value reflects average fatty-acid chain length; an abnormal SAP is an identity or adulteration signal. | Outside the identity range — an adulteration signal, not a process fault | SAP |
| Unsaponifiable matter | % | The unsaponifiable fraction — triterpene alcohols and related minors — is why formulators specify shea rather than a cheaper hard fat. | Unusually low, or omitted altogether | Unsaps |
| Slip melting point | °C | Slip melting point governs skin feel and the fat's behaviour in a chocolate or balm formula. | Method unstated — slip, capillary and drop points differ | Melting point |
| Colour | visual grade | Colour is an appearance specification, not a grade: ivory to pale yellow is typical of unrefined shea; white is typical of N-RBD. | White stated on an unrefined certificate | Colour |
| Iodine value | g I₂/100 g | Iodine value measures unsaturation; it is an identity and softness check and moves with the oleic/stearic balance. | Outside the identity range together with saponification or refractive-index anomalies | IV |
Free fatty acid
Free fatty acid measures freshness and kernel handling before pressing. Check the reference acid — shea is reported as oleic. Acid value shown with no FFA line and no conversion is a red flag; so is FFA far above the grade claimed. Acid value (mg KOH/g) is approximately FFA per cent as oleic times 1.99. See free fatty acid in shea butter and the FFA titration calculator.
Peroxide value
Peroxide value measures the oxidation state. It rises in storage and with light or heat exposure. A low peroxide value with high FFA is typical of fresh but fermented kernels; a high peroxide value with low FFA points to storage or light. See peroxide value and why peroxide value rises in storage.
Moisture and volatile matter
Moisture measures mould and hydrolysis risk. A method that is not stated is a red flag: oven-loss and Karl Fischer results differ. See moisture content.
Refractive index
Refractive index is an identity check. The value must state the temperature (40 °C) or it cannot be interpreted. No temperature, or a value outside the identity range, is a red flag. See refractive index.
Saponification value
Saponification value is an identity check. A value outside the shea range is an adulteration signal, not a process fault. Refining cannot correct it. See saponification value and signs of adulterated shea butter.
Unsaponifiable matter
Unsaponifiable matter is the bioactive fraction buyers pay for. An unusually low result suggests dilution or heavy refining; an omitted line is a reason to ask for it. See unsaponifiable matter.
Melting / slip point
Melting point measures formulation behaviour. A method that is not stated is a red flag: slip, capillary and drop points differ. See slip melting point.
Colour
Colour is a grade and processing indicator, stated descriptively or as Lovibond. “White” on an unrefined COA is a red flag. See colour grading and the shea butter grade checker.
Iodine value
Iodine value measures unsaturation and supports saponification value and refractive index in identity checks. A value outside range together with those two anomalies is a red flag. See iodine value.
Check your own COA numbers against typical ranges with the COA interpreter.
What a COA does not tell you
A standard shea butter COA is a fats-and-oils report. Contaminants — heavy metals, pesticide residues, microbiology — appear only if they were tested and requested. Sensory notes (odour, texture) are usually a separate panel. Sustainability or origin claims are not laboratory results. Ask for those extras on the order if you need them; do not read them into a nine-parameter COA that never measured them.
The 10-point COA checklist
0 of 10 complete
A COA that fails on batch specificity or stated methods should be treated as a specification. Request a batch-specific certificate before payment.
The same checklist is the reading skill assumed by the quality-control playbook for buyers.
See a real shea butter COA
EMI Agro issues a batch-specific certificate of analysis with named methods. See EMI Agro's sample certificate of analysis for the document shape, and certifications and quality for how testing is organised. Request a current batch COA for unrefined Grade A or refined N-RBD when you want numbers, not a template.
Related pages
Shea butter buyer guides
Import, COA, storage and refining procedures.
Complete guide to shea butter
Origin, grades, specifications and sourcing.
Free fatty acid (FFA)
FFA measures hydrolytic breakdown of the fat; it is set by kernel handling before pressing, not by filtration afterwards.
Peroxide value (PV)
Peroxide value is the first oxidation marker; a rising PV on a stored lot is a storage or age problem, not a pressing problem.
Moisture and volatiles
Moisture above a tight band accelerates hydrolysis and microbial risk in an otherwise anhydrous fat.
Refractive index
Refractive index is an identity check: a value outside the shea range suggests a different fat or a blend.
Saponification value
Saponification value reflects average fatty-acid chain length; an abnormal SAP is an identity or adulteration signal.
Unsaponifiable matter
The unsaponifiable fraction — triterpene alcohols and related minors — is why formulators specify shea rather than a cheaper hard fat.
Slip melting point
Slip melting point governs skin feel and the fat's behaviour in a chocolate or balm formula.
Colour
Colour is an appearance specification, not a grade: ivory to pale yellow is typical of unrefined shea; white is typical of N-RBD.
Iodine value
Iodine value measures unsaturation; it is an identity and softness check and moves with the oleic/stearic balance.
Coa Interpreter
Free calculator.
Ffa Titration Calculator
Free calculator.
Shea Butter Grade Checker
Free calculator.
Unrefined Grade A shea butter
Product specification and supply notes.
Refined N-RBD shea butter
Product specification and supply notes.
Buyer playbook
The sourcing playbook that uses this procedure.
How to Import Shea Butter from Nigeria
The export-side procedure: NEPC, Form NXP, NESS inspection, NAFDAC and NAQS certificates, customs and loading at Lagos ports.
How to Store Shea Butter to Prevent Rancidity
Temperature, light, oxygen, moisture and rotation rules for drums, cartons and IBCs, plus PV/FFA monitoring intervals.
Frequently asked questions
References & standards
- AOCS Official Methods — American Oil Chemists' Society (accessed 13 September 2026)
- ISO 660 — Animal and vegetable fats and oils — Determination of acid value and acidity — International Organization for Standardization (accessed 13 September 2026)
- ISO 3960 — Determination of peroxide value — International Organization for Standardization (accessed 13 September 2026)
- ISO 662 — Determination of moisture and volatile matter content — International Organization for Standardization (accessed 13 September 2026)
- ISO 6320 — Determination of refractive index — International Organization for Standardization (accessed 13 September 2026)
- ISO 3657 — Determination of saponification value — International Organization for Standardization (accessed 13 September 2026)
- ISO 3596 — Determination of unsaponifiable matter — International Organization for Standardization (accessed 13 September 2026)
- ISO 3961 — Determination of iodine value — International Organization for Standardization (accessed 13 September 2026)
- ISO/IEC 17025 — Testing and calibration laboratories — International Organization for Standardization (accessed 13 September 2026)
- Codex Standard for Edible Fats and Oils not Covered by Individual Standards (CXS 19-1981) — Codex Alimentarius (accessed 13 September 2026)
- NIS 571:2013 — Shea butter — Specification — Standards Organisation of Nigeria (accessed 13 September 2026)
Last reviewed September 2026 by EMI Agro Industries QC team.
Manufacturer-direct from Ibadan, Nigeria
Want a COA you can read this way?
Request a current batch certificate for Grade A unrefined or refined N-RBD — methods stated, batch-specific, signed.
You have just read How to Read a Shea Butter COA. The next step is a real lot from the factory that produces it — EMI Agro, with factory-direct pricing and a batch Certificate of Analysis.
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Competitive factory-direct prices
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We ship to European Union, United States, Canada, United Kingdom and Southeast Asia, China, India, Middle East, Latin America. Load ports: Apapa (Lagos) or Tin Can Island (Lagos).
Documented lots
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