Refined N-RBD Shea Butter for Chocolate (CBE)
Shea is a permitted cocoa butter equivalent fat — EMI Agro supplies the refined fat, not a chocolate bar. Slip point, iodine value and the stearic/oleic profile decide whether a lot belongs in a CBE blend.
Summary
Yes — refined N-RBD shea butter is a recognised cocoa butter equivalent feedstock because its stearic (about 35–45 %) and oleic (about 40–55 %) profile is close to cocoa butter, and EU Directive 2000/36/EC lists shea among the vegetable fats allowed up to 5 % of the finished chocolate product. Typical CBE recipes use shea stearin; EMI supplies whole refined N-RBD — the blender fractionates. EMI Agro does not sell chocolate; it sells the fat, with a batch Certificate of Analysis on a NIS 571:2013 basis.
- Product type
- Refined N-RBD
- INCI
- Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter
- Recommended for
- Chocolate (CBE)
- Decisive parameters
- Melting point · IV · FFA · Unsaps
- Typical inclusion
- Up to 5 % vegetable fat in EU chocolate (finished product); shea usually as stearin in the CBE
- Standard basis
- NIS 571:2013; AOCS / ISO test methods
Recommended specifications for chocolate (CBE)
| Parameter | Target for chocolate (CBE) | Why it matters | Test method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Slip melting point | Available on request | Snap and melt of the fat phase; the blender matches slip after fractionation. | AOCS Cc 3-25 |
| Iodine value | Available on request | Unsaturation versus cocoa; identity and oxidative stability of the CBE. | AOCS Cd 1-25 / Other Wijs |
| Free fatty acid (FFA) | Available on request | Taste and refining quality of a confectionery fat. | AOCS Ca 5a-40 / ISO 660 |
| Unsaponifiable matter | Available on request | CBE identity; shea is naturally high — report, do not hide. | AOCS Ca 6a-40 |
| Moisture and volatiles | Available on request | Water in a chocolate fat phase is a bloom and viscosity risk. | AOCS Ca 2b-38 / ISO 662 |
| Colour | Available on request | Must not tint or flavour the chocolate fat phase. | AOCS Cc 13e-92 |
For CBE feedstock, slip melting point and iodine value decide compatibility with cocoa butter; free fatty acid and moisture decide edible-fat hygiene. This table is a feedstock specification; the CBE manufacturer's finished-fat specification is tighter after fractionation. The comparison table lives on shea butter versus cocoa butter. General edible-fat numbers are on refined N-RBD for food manufacturing.
Why Refined N-RBD shea butter suits chocolate (CBE)
- EU Directive 2000/36/EC lists shea among the vegetable fats that may be used in chocolate, with a finished-product ceiling commonly cited at 5 % and a vegetable-fat labelling statement. Codex CXS 87 follows the same idea. US 21 CFR Part 163 does not permit vegetable-fat substitution in products labelled chocolate.
- Shea's stearic (about 35–45 %) and oleic (about 40–55 %) profile sits next to cocoa butter; SOS-type triglycerides are why shea — usually as stearin — is a classic CBE component.
- Cocoa Form V melts sharply around 34–38 °C; shea is broader (32–40 °C after refining). The blender fractionates toward cocoa's curve.
- Iodine value of shea is typically 52–66, higher than cocoa; slip and iodine value still have to be matched after blending.
- Finished CBEs usually need shea stearin. EMI supplies whole refined N-RBD; EMI does not fractionate and does not sell a finished CBE blend.
- EMI Agro supplies the fat, not chocolate. There is no chocolate SKU and no consumer bar.
The buyer is a CBE manufacturer or confectionery-fat plant, not a high-street chocolatier. Refining must deliver a neutral flavour and a low free-fatty-acid ceiling so the fat can enter a cocoa-butter blend — the unit operations are in the refining guide. Finished CBEs usually need shea stearin. EMI supplies whole refined N-RBD and does not fractionate; the blender fractionates or buys stearin elsewhere. The definition of a cocoa butter equivalent is in the CBE glossary entry. US products labelled "chocolate" follow 21 CFR Part 163 and do not permit this vegetable-fat substitution.
Intake checks for a CBE blender:
- fatty-acid profile versus the agreed band;
- slip melting point;
- iodine value;
- free fatty acid, peroxide value and flavour.
EMI Agro supplies the fat, not chocolate. This page makes no health claims and no chocolate-product claims.
Why unrefined Grade A is not offered for this use
Unrefined Grade A is not offered as CBE feedstock: flavour, colour and Grade A free-fatty-acid and peroxide-value bands sit outside a confectionery-fat specification. General edible-fat numbers live on the food-manufacturing page. Cocoa comparison lives on the shea versus cocoa page. unrefined Grade A shea butter.
Supply format
EMI Agro loads at Apapa (Lagos) and Tin Can Island (Lagos). Packaging, sample size, minimum order, Incoterms and lead time are confirmed on the quote for the grade and destination you name.
- 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.
- Incoterms
- EXW, FOB, CIF
- 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.
- Samples
- 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)
Quality & traceability
Finished butter is specified on a NIS 571:2013 basis. Parameters in the table are measured on every finished batch; the Certificate of Analysis reports the measured values. Kernel lots are titrated for free fatty acid at intake and kept segregated. Kernels are wild-collected through a cooperative network of 5,000+ women collectors. Certification status: NAFDAC registered, SON approved, HACCP in progress, USDA NOP (Organic) in pursuit, EU Organic (EOS) in pursuit, COSMOS in pursuit. Detail sits on the quality page.
- Every finished batch is tested; measured values are reported on the Certificate of Analysis.
- Kernel lots are titrated for free fatty acid at intake and kept segregated.
Related pages
Complete guide to shea butter
Origin, grades, specifications and supply
Refined N-RBD Shea Butter
Refined N-RBD shea butter product page
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 Pharmaceutical Excipient Use
Refined N-RBD shea butter for pharmaceutical excipient use: purity, residual-solvent statements and TDS — not a finished-drug claim.
Slip melting point
Slip melting point governs skin feel and the fat's behaviour in a chocolate or balm formula.
Iodine value
Iodine value measures unsaturation; it is an identity and softness check and moves with the oleic/stearic balance.
Free fatty acid (FFA)
FFA measures hydrolytic breakdown of the fat; it is set by kernel handling before pressing, not by filtration afterwards.
Unsaponifiable matter
The unsaponifiable fraction — triterpene alcohols and related minors — is why formulators specify shea rather than a cheaper hard fat.
Food Manufacturers
Refined N-RBD shea for food and confectionery.
Shea Butter vs Cocoa Butter
Melting point, fatty acids and uses — shea butter compared with cocoa butter.
Shea Blend Melting Point Helper
First-approximation slip melting point of a shea blend.
How Shea Butter Is Refined: The N-RBD Process
Neutralisation, bleaching and deodorisation — what each step changes.
Cocoa Butter Equivalent (CBE)
Fat that can replace cocoa butter in chocolate.
N-RBD
Neutralised, bleached and deodorised refined shea.
Certificate of Analysis (sample)
How a batch is reported
Certifications & Quality
Status, testing and documents
Frequently asked questions
References & standards
- Directive 2000/36/EC relating to cocoa and chocolate products — EUR-Lex
- Codex CXS 87-1981 — Standard for Chocolate and Chocolate Products — FAO/WHO Codex Alimentarius
- 21 CFR Part 163 — Cacao products — US eCFR
- 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. — Taylor & Francis
- AOCS Official Methods Ca 5a-40, Cd 8-53, Ca 2b-38, Ca 6a-40, Cc 3-25, Cc 13e-92, Cd 3-25, Cd 1-25 — American Oil Chemists' Society
- NIS 571:2013 — Shea butter — Standards Organisation of Nigeria
Last reviewed September 2026 by EMI Agro Industries QC team.
Manufacturer-direct from Ibadan, Nigeria
Test refined N-RBD shea butter as your CBE feedstock.
Request a sample of the fat — not chocolate — against the specification above, or ask for the spec sheet and a current COA with slip point and iodine value.
You have just read Refined N-RBD Shea Butter for Chocolate (CBE). 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.