Peroxide Value (PV) in Shea Butter
What PV counts, the limits by grade, the iodometric test — and why the number can fall while the butter gets worse.
Summary
- Unit
- meq O₂/kg
- Test method
- AOCS Cd 8-53 / Cd 8b-90 · ISO 3960
- What high PV means
- Active primary oxidation — rancidity developing
- What a very low PV on old stock can mean
- Peroxides already decomposed (check anisidine value)
- Control lever
- Storage and packaging (post-extraction)
- Companion tests
- Anisidine value (AOCS Cd 18-90); TOTOX = 2 × PV + AV
What peroxide value measures
Autoxidation of unsaturated fatty acids (oleic and linoleic in shea) produces hydroperoxides first, then aldehydes, ketones and short-chain acids that carry the rancid smell. Peroxide value counts only the primary stage; it therefore rises, peaks and falls as oxidation proceeds — a curve, not a straight line.
Peroxide value measures how far primary oxidation has progressed at the moment of testing; it is a snapshot of the fat's storage history, not of how the butter was made. Read it with the batch date and, for older stock, with anisidine value or a sensory check.
Typical peroxide values by grade
| Grade | Valuemeq O₂/kg | What it usually indicates | EMI supply status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grade A | — | Peroxide value is the first oxidation marker; a rising PV on a stored lot is a storage or age problem, not a pressing problem. | Confirm on the batch COA |
| Grade B | — | Peroxide value is the first oxidation marker; a rising PV on a stored lot is a storage or age problem, not a pressing problem. | Confirm on the batch COA |
| Grade C | — | Peroxide value is the first oxidation marker; a rising PV on a stored lot is a storage or age problem, not a pressing problem. | Confirm on the batch COA |
| Refined N-RBD | — | Peroxide value is the first oxidation marker; a rising PV on a stored lot is a storage or age problem, not a pressing problem. | Confirm on the batch COA |
See the regional Grade 1/2/3 table below for published context. The Certificate of Analysis governs the lot.
EMI does not publish a contractual peroxide-value range by grade on this page. Limits are set at release; ask for the test date. Refined butter's near-zero peroxide value after deodorisation climbs again if stored badly.
| Regional grade | Peroxide valuemeq O₂/kg |
|---|---|
| Grade 1 | ≤ 10 |
| Grade 2 | 10–15 |
| Grade 3 | 15–50 |
How peroxide value is measured (AOCS Cd 8-53 / ISO 3960)
Weigh the melted, mixed sample into acetic acid–chloroform (Cd 8-53) or acetic acid–isooctane (Cd 8b-90); add saturated potassium iodide; peroxides oxidise iodide to iodine; titrate the liberated iodine with standardised sodium thiosulphate to a starch endpoint.
PV (meq O₂/kg) = (S − B) × N × 1000 / W
Light during preparation, over-heating when melting, delay after opening the drum, and surface-only sampling all change the result — sample from a core, not the top. Run a blank and duplicates. See how the COA interpreter flags peroxide value, and AOCS Cd 8-53.
Why peroxide value matters to buyers
Rising peroxide value means rancid odour and taste, colour darkening, loss of tocopherols, and off-notes that deodorisation can remove only once (and only for refined product). In emulsions, oxidised fat shortens product shelf life.
Drivers: light (UV catalyses); heat (the rate roughly doubles per about 10 °C); oxygen (headspace, half-empty drums); metal ions; pre-existing high FFA (free acids oxidise faster); and high unsaturation — see iodine value. Shea's unsaponifiable fraction and tocopherols give some intrinsic oxidative stability compared with many liquid oils — see unsaponifiable matter.
Peroxide value is the parameter most affected by what happens to shea butter after it leaves the press — packaging, light and temperature decide it. How to store shea butter to prevent rancidity covers keeping peroxide value low after delivery. Soap is tolerant, but high peroxide value is linked to “dreaded orange spots” — see the lye calculator.
Why a low PV alone is not proof of freshness
As hydroperoxides decompose, peroxide value drops while aldehydes (measured by anisidine value, AOCS Cd 18-90) rise. TOTOX = 2 × PV + AV combines both and is useful for aged stock.
Ask for peroxide value with the test date; for stock older than about six months ask for anisidine value, TOTOX or a re-test; smell the sample. Contrast free fatty acid: FFA is set before extraction and does not fall; peroxide value is set after and can fall.
How EMI Agro controls peroxide value
EMI Agro states the measured peroxide value and test date on the Certificate of Analysis for each shipment. The QC laboratory is at the Moniya, Ibadan plant. See Certifications & Quality and the sample Certificate of Analysis.
Related parameters
Free fatty acid is hydrolysis, not oxidation. Moisture drives hydrolysis, which then feeds oxidation. Iodine value sets susceptibility. Unsaponifiable matter contributes natural stability. Colour darkens as a visible symptom.
Related pages
Shea Butter Specifications
FFA, peroxide value, moisture, refractive index, saponification value and more.
Complete Guide to Shea Butter
Master reference — grades, production, specifications, uses, sourcing, importing.
Shea Butter Grades
Grade A, B and C unrefined shea butter and refined N-RBD explained.
Free Fatty Acid (FFA)
What FFA measures in shea butter, why it rises in kernels, and how it is tested.
Moisture Content
Moisture and volatiles in shea butter and why a tight band matters.
Iodine Value
Iodine value as an unsaturation and identity check.
Unsaponifiable Matter
The unsaponifiable fraction that distinguishes shea from cheaper hard fats.
Colour Grading
Colour as an appearance specification, not a grade.
COA Interpreter
Flag peroxide value against published bands.
Shea Butter Grade Checker
Check whether COA values sit in Grade A, B or C bands.
Certificate of Analysis (sample)
How a batch is reported.
Refined N-RBD Shea Butter
Deodorised butter leaves the plant with a very low PV.
Frequently asked questions
References & standards
- AOCS Official Method Cd 8-53 — Peroxide Value, Acetic Acid–Chloroform Method — American Oil Chemists' Society
- AOCS Official Method Cd 8b-90 — Peroxide Value, Acetic Acid–Isooctane Method — American Oil Chemists' Society
- ISO 3960 — Animal and vegetable fats and oils — Determination of peroxide value — Iodometric (visual) endpoint determination — International Organization for Standardization
- AOCS Official Method Cd 18-90 — p-Anisidine Value — American Oil Chemists' Society
- Codex Alimentarius CXS 19-1981 — Standard for edible fats and oils not covered by individual standards — FAO / WHO
- Honfo, F.G. et al. (2014). Nutritional composition of shea products and chemical properties of shea butter: a review — Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition
Last reviewed September 2026 by EMI Agro Industries QC team.
Manufacturer-direct from Ibadan, Nigeria
Ask for the PV with its test date — we'll send both.
Tell us your peroxide value limit and application; we'll send a current Certificate of Analysis showing the measured PV, method and date for the matching grade.
You have just read Peroxide Value (PV) in 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.
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EMI Agro Industries Limited (RC 9364495) presses the butter in Ibadan — we are not a trading company.
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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
40 tonnes per week of finished shea butter, a Certificate of Analysis on every batch, NAFDAC registered and SON approved.