Shea butter is a natural vegetable oil that contains high content of monounsaturated fat, unsaturated fatty acid, and 40% less saturated fat than in most cooking oils.
If unrefined shea butter is considered a healthy oil due to its monounsaturated fats, which may lower the risk of heart disease or may help reduce LDL cholesterol, not all types of shea butter can be used in cooking.
Shea butter is a by-product of shea nuts. In some parts of Africa, and precisely, in the Northern parts of Ghana, shea butter is being used as a cooking oil since time immemorial.
For the indigenous people of that region, the exotic taste of their meal will seem quite natural to them, while this may not be very palatable for those who are not accustomed to using shea butter as cooking oil.
Unrefined Shea Butter - A Cocoa Butter Equivalent (CBE) In The Food Industry
As the price of natural cocoa butter keeps increasing everywhere each year, the Food Industry has found an alternative way to deal with two problems it was faced with; using a healthier fat ingredient while remaining competitive in terms of prices.
In recent times, the food industry has become more conscious of customers' health and therefore looked for alternative ingredients to substitute animal fats for shea butter. Unrefined shea butter is a widely used natural ingredient in chocolate making, ice-creams, and other confectionery products due to its fat composition, which is very similar to that of cocoa butter.
In the food industry, the use of unrefined edible shea butter as a cocoa butter improver (CBI) or even as a cocoa butter equivalent (CBE) has proven to not only be cost-effective but healthier for the immune system.
Unrefined Shea Butter - Which of The Grades Is Edible?
There are 3 grades and different types of unrefined shea butter. At Organic Trade and Investments, we refer the grade A unrefined shea butter to shea butter that is edible, while grade B and C unrefined shea is recommended for cosmetic products.
Hi OTI Team, I bought some of your unrefined shea butter. I wanted to ask if I could use it as a cooking oil as well?
The composition of edible unrefined shea butter shall meet specific quality criteria. In fact, the fatty acid composition of unrefined shea butter will determine the edibility index of the butter. The higher the fatty acid composition of the unrefined shea butter the higher the risk of consuming it.
In the table below, the grades (A+ and A-) of unrefined shea butter are healthy for direct human consumption or for the food industry (in this case, unrefined shea butter is used as a base for margarine, confectionery chocolate, or edible oil).
While unrefined shea butter is edible, it is important to have a clear idea of the composition of the shea butter you are buying. Remember, not all types or grades of unrefined shea butter are edible. Source your unrefined shea butter from an expert.
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