Why choose refined N-RBD shea butter over unrefined for food and CBE use?

Refined N-RBD is specified for food and cocoa butter equivalent because it is odourless, white to off-white and very low in free fatty acid, with the documentation food manufacturers expect. Some of the unsaponifiable fraction is reduced in refining; buyers who want the full minor-component profile specify unrefined Grade A instead.

Is refined N-RBD shea butter completely white and odourless?

After deodorisation it is white to off-white and free of the characteristic shea odour. A slight cream tint can remain. Any rancid or soapy odour on a refined lot is a storage or oxidation problem — check peroxide value on the Certificate of Analysis.

Does refining remove the unsaponifiable fraction from N-RBD shea butter?

Partly. Neutralisation, bleaching and deodorisation lower some minor components, but a substantial unsaponifiable fraction remains. Formulators who want the full unrefined fraction should specify Grade A unrefined rather than N-RBD.

Is refined N-RBD shea butter suitable as a pharmaceutical excipient?

Refined shea butter is used as an ointment and suppository base. Pharmaceutical buyers typically request a Certificate of Analysis, a specification sheet and change-control language. We do not claim a pharmacopoeial monograph unless that status is confirmed on the order documents.

Products

Refined N-RBD Shea Butter

Neutralised, bleached and deodorised: white, odourless and very low in free fatty acid.

N-RBD shea butter is Neutralised (alkali removes free fatty acids), Refined, Bleached (adsorbent earth removes colour) and Deodorised (steam stripping removes volatiles). The result is white to off-white, odourless and very low in free fatty acid — specified for food manufacturing, chocolate and confectionery (CBE), pharmaceutical excipient use, and cosmetic bases that need neutrality.

At a glance

Grade: Refined N-RBD
Process: Neutralised, bleached and deodorised
Appearance: White to off-white
Odour: Odourless after deodorisation
INCI: Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter
HS code: 1515.90
Standard: NIS 571:2013
Origin of kernels: Kwara, Niger, Kaduna, Kogi

Specification summary

Refined N-RBD Shea Butter — EMI Agro typical values and test methods (NIS 571:2013 basis)
Parameter	Typical value	Test method	Detail
Free fatty acid (FFA)	Stated on batch COA	AOCS Ca 5a-40 / ISO 660	FFA explained
Peroxide value (PV)	Stated on batch COA	AOCS Cd 8-53	PV explained
Moisture and volatiles	Stated on batch COA	AOCS Ca 2b-38 / ISO 662	Moisture explained
Refractive index	Stated on batch COA	ISO 6320 / AOCS Cc 7-25	RI explained
Saponification value	Stated on batch COA	AOCS Cd 3-25	SAP explained
Unsaponifiable matter	Stated on batch COA	AOCS Ca 6a-40	Unsaps explained
Slip melting point	Stated on batch COA	AOCS Cc 3-25	Melting point explained
Colour	Stated on batch COA	AOCS Cc 13e-92	Colour explained
Iodine value	Stated on batch COA	AOCS Cd 1-25 / Other Wijs	IV explained

Batch values are reported on the Certificate of Analysis; typical values are QC reference ranges, not guarantees.

Why buyers specify refined N-RBD

Refining removes free fatty acids, colour and odour from shea butter; it cannot correct identity anomalies such as an abnormal saponification value or refractive index. The trade-off is a loss of natural colour, odour and part of the minor components.

Applications

Refined N-RBD for Cosmetics

Refined N-RBD shea butter for cosmetics: white, odourless, low-FFA butter for colour-critical, fragrance-sensitive skincare.

Refined N-RBD for Body Butter & Lotion

Refined N-RBD shea butter for body butter and lotion: texture and slip after refining, whipping structure, and the melting-point spec to request.

Refined N-RBD for Lip Balm

Refined N-RBD shea butter for lip balm: odourless, tasteless, white base for flavoured and tinted sticks, with melting point and PV specs.

Refined N-RBD for Food Manufacturing

Refined N-RBD shea butter for food manufacturing: very low FFA and PV, food-grade documents and HACCP status stated as they are.

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.

Refined N-RBD for Pharmaceutical Excipient Use

Refined N-RBD shea butter for pharmaceutical excipient use: purity, residual-solvent statements and TDS — not a finished-drug claim.

Packaging and supply

Order terms

MOQ: Standard orders start at 20 tonnes. Trial lots start at 5 tonnes. Smaller volumes can still be requested — we review every enquiry against current production.
Lead time: Lead time is Ibadan production time plus ocean time to the named port. EMI Agro produces 40 tonnes per week of finished shea butter and can schedule rolling shipments. Exact weeks depend on the quantity on the purchase order.
Incoterms: EXW, FOB, CIF
Sample policy: Trial lots start at 5 tonnes of the named grade. Send the request even if you need less — we review whether we can supply.
Load ports: Apapa (Lagos), Tin Can Island (Lagos)

Documents provided

A Certificate of Analysis is issued per batch. Destination-specific certificates are confirmed on the order. See the sample Certificate of Analysis.

Quality and traceability

Intake lots are batch-coded to the cooperative delivery. Finished butter is tested in-house before release. The ten-step process and the quality page describe the laboratory and the certification status.

Unrefined Grade A Shea Butter

Cold-pressed, wild-collected unrefined Grade A shea butter from Ibadan, Nigeria: ivory to pale yellow, natural odour, produced to NIS 571:2013 with a Certificate of Analysis on every batch.

Shea Press Cake

The solid residue left after mechanical pressing of shea kernels at EMI Agro Industries, Ibadan: supplied in bulk as an input for animal feed, soap making and organic fertiliser or biomass.

Certificate of Analysis (sample)

How batch results are reported

All bulk shea butter products

Hub for grade selection

Frequently asked questions

Last reviewed September 2026 by EMI Agro Industries QC team.

Manufacturer-direct from Ibadan, Nigeria

Specify the neutrality you need.

Request a sample or COA for refined N-RBD shea butter, with the food-grade documentation set your application requires.

You have just read Refined N-RBD Shea Butter. 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.

Trusted manufacturer
EMI Agro Industries Limited (RC 9364495) presses the butter in Ibadan — we are not a trading company.
Competitive factory-direct prices
Quoted EXW, FOB or CIF — the buyer chooses. You pay the factory, not a chain of middlemen.
Export-ready supply
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
40 tonnes per week of finished shea butter, a Certificate of Analysis on every batch, NAFDAC registered and SON approved.

Request a sample Request a COA