Shea Butter Grade Checker
Type in the numbers from your test or COA, describe what you see and smell, and get an indicative grade with the reason — in your browser, offline.
Summary
The calculator
How the grade is decided
A shea butter sample is graded by its weakest parameter: if FFA is Grade B but everything else is Grade A, the sample is Grade B and FFA is the limiting parameter. That rule is how the West African trade reads unrefined butter, and it is the rule this checker applies. Ties are broken in the order FFA, then peroxide value, then moisture.
If a parameter is left empty, the checker grades on the figures you did supply and marks the result incomplete. Refined N-RBD is a process, not a grade: if you mark the product as refined, the tool says so and will not assign A, B or C.
| Parameter | Grade A / ECOWAS 1 | Grade B / ECOWAS 2 | Grade C / ECOWAS 3 | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FFA (% as oleic) | ≤ 1 | 1–3 | 3–8 | ECOWAS / literature |
| Peroxide value (meq O₂/kg) | ≤ 10 | 10–15 | 15–50 | ECOWAS / literature |
| Moisture & volatiles (%) | ≤ 0.05 | 0.05–0.2 | 0.2–2 | ECOWAS / literature |
Values above the Grade C ceiling are reported as below Grade C / reject. Identity ranges: saponification 170–195 mg KOH/g; refractive index at 40 °C 1.463–1.467.
Sensory inputs never raise a grade. A rancid or sour odour caps the result at C. A chemical or solvent odour makes the sample not classifiable. A smoky odour caps at B. Dark brown colour, from over-heating in traditional processing, caps at C. A grey-green tint is treated as not classifiable — possible adulteration or mould. Visible particles cap at C. Separated liquid oil on the surface is an adulteration flag (a blend with a liquid vegetable oil) even if the numbers still sit in Grade A.
Identity parameters do not grade; they confirm the sample is shea. Saponification value outside 170–195 mg KOH/g or refractive index at 40 °C outside 1.463–1.467 makes the result not classifiable / possible adulteration, regardless of FFA. Colour alone is not a grade — see colour grading. The parameter pages for FFA, peroxide value, moisture, saponification value and refractive index explain each number. The names Grade A, B and C are set out on shea butter grades.
Worked example
Inputs: FFA 1.8 %, peroxide value 6 meq/kg, moisture 0.10 %, pale yellow, mild nutty, smooth. FFA sits in the Grade B band (above the Grade A ceiling of 1.0 %). Peroxide value sits in Grade A. Moisture sits in Grade B. Sensory inputs do not cap the result. The indicative grade is therefore Grade B, limited by FFA, with high confidence because all three quality parameters were entered.
The same numbers with a saponification value of 210 mg KOH/g become not classifiable / possible adulteration: 210 is above the published shea identity range of 170–195 mg KOH/g. Request a fatty-acid profile before you treat that lot as shea. Both examples use the same bands as the table above.
Assumptions and limits
The result is indicative only. Thresholds are published ECOWAS Grade 1/2/3 bands and literature identity ranges. Other buyers’ contracts may differ, and EMI Agro’s contractual limits are those printed on the Certificate of Analysis for the lot. Sensory inputs are subjective and temperature-dependent; assess colour, odour and texture at 20–25 °C. A fresh but poorly processed sample can pass FFA and still fail on odour.
Yellow shea is not “lower grade” than ivory. Colour is an appearance specification. Refined N-RBD is not graded A/B/C — select that product type and the tool explains why, then points to refined N-RBD shea butter. One sample is not one lot: sample several drums. The result is not a certificate.
What each result means
Grade A (ECOWAS Grade 1) is the band specified for cosmetics and as food-refining feedstock when the unrefined character is wanted. Grade B is specified for soap, some cosmetics and refining feedstock; price is usually negotiated against FFA. Grade C is soap, industrial use or refining only. Below Grade C is a reject against those published bands.
Not classifiable means stop. Request saponification value, refractive index and a fatty-acid profile, plus lot documentation. Signs of blending and substitution are collected on signs of adulterated shea butter. For a graded, certified batch see unrefined Grade A shea butter and the Certificate of Analysis.
Related pages
All free shea butter tools
FFA, grade, COA, lye, caustic dose, container, units and blend.
Complete guide to shea butter
Origin, grades, specifications and bulk supply.
Shea Butter COA Interpreter
Enter any supplier's COA values and the grade it claims to see what is in range, what is not, and what to ask.
FFA Titration Calculator
Convert titre volume, normality and sample weight into free fatty acid % and acid value.
Free Fatty Acid (FFA)
What FFA measures in shea butter, why it rises in kernels, and how it is tested.
Peroxide Value (PV)
Peroxide value as the first oxidation marker in shea butter storage.
Moisture Content
Moisture and volatiles in shea butter and why a tight band matters.
Colour Grading
Colour as an appearance specification, not a grade.
Saponification Value
Saponification value as a chain-length and identity parameter.
Refractive Index
Refractive index at 40 °C as an identity check for shea butter.
how-to-read-a-shea-butter-coa
Frequently asked questions
References & standards
- NIS 571:2013 — Standard for unrefined shea butter — Standards Organisation of Nigeria
- West African regional (ECOWAS/UEMOA) grading bands for unrefined shea butter — ECOWAS / literature compilation
- AOCS Official Methods Ca 5a-40 (FFA), Cd 8-53 (PV), Ca 2b-38 (moisture) — American Oil Chemists' Society
- 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
Want a graded, certified batch instead of a guess?
Tell us the grade and application you need and we will send a current quote and Certificate of Analysis for Grade A unrefined shea butter.
You have just read Shea Butter Grade Checker. 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.