Shea Olein
INCI Butyrospermum Parkii Oil. Also: Shea oil, Liquid shea, Shea butter olein, Olein from shea tree nut extract, Butyrospermum parkii oil.
Published values
| Saponification value | 179.3–182.9 mg KOH/g |
| Used by the calculator | 181.1 mg KOH/g (midpoint) |
| SAP for NaOH | 0.1291 g/g |
| Iodine value | 64.2–69.2 g I₂/100 g |
| INS (SAP − IV) | 114 |
| Melting point | 30–32 °C |
| Unsaponifiable matter | 6.04–6.89 % |
A bar made of 100 % Shea Olein
Conventional qualities summed from the fatty-acid groups; a single-oil bar is a reference point, not a recipe.
Fatty-acid profile
| Fatty acid | Published range, % | Used | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palmitic acid | C16:0 · saturated | 5.5–5.9 | 5.7 |
| Stearic acid | C18:0 · saturated | 29.1–29.4 | 29.3 |
| Oleic acid | C18:1 | 52.9–54.6 | 53.8 |
| Linoleic acid | C18:2 | 7.9–8.6 | 8.3 |
| α-Linolenic acid | C18:3 n-3 | 0.3–0.4 | 0.4 |
| Arachidic acid | C20:0 · saturated | 1.2–1.3 | 1.3 |
Where these numbers come from
Tables 7 (fatty acids of three batches), 12 (specifications), 13 (three lots) and 14 (Codex criteria incl. saponification, iodine, melting point). Table 14 read from word coordinates.
Summary of identity and composition.
The liquid fraction of refined, solvent-fractionated shea butter (CosIng: 'Butyrospermum Parkii Oil is the liquid fraction obtained from the Shea Tree'). All figures are the producer's own batch analyses in GRAS Notice GRN 850, filed with the US FDA for BUNGE Loders Croklaan BV by GRAS Associates, LLC (cover letter dated 1 March 2019). Table 7, three production batches: C16:0 5.5/5.5/5.9, C18:0 29.1/29.1/29.2, C18:1 53.8/54.2/52.9, C18:2 8.6/8.4/7.9, C18:3 0.3/0.3/0.4, 'C20:0 (Arachidonic)' 1.3/1.2/1.2 (the label is the notice's; C20:0 is arachidic acid), others 1.4/1.3/2.5 % of total FAME; its 'typical' column: palmitic 5, stearic 30, oleic 54, linoleic 8, alpha-linolenic <1, C20:0 <3.5, others <3. Table 13 (three lots against specification): oleic 53.8/54.2/54.6, stearic 29.1/29.1/29.4, unsaponifiable matter 6.06/6.15/6.89 %, free fatty acid 0.12/0.15/0.12 % as oleic, peroxide 0.1/0.5/0.9 meq/kg, trans fatty acids 0.2 %. Table 12 specification: oleic min 44 %, stearic max 44 %, unsaponifiable max 9 %, free fatty acid max 1.0 %, trans fatty acids max 1.0 %. Table 14 (three batches against Codex criteria): saponification value 179.3/179.7/182.9 mg KOH/g, iodine value 69.0/69.2/64.2, unsaponifiable 6.04/6.15/6.89 %, refractive index 1.466 (44 C), melting point 30/32/30 C, relative density 0.9223/0.9225/0.9226 (20 C), acid value 0.28/0.28/0.20 mg KOH/g. The notice describes the product as 'a viscous pale yellow liquid at room temperature' and does not say how the 30-32 C melting point was measured. The unsaponifiable matter is mostly triterpene alcohols (the notice: up to 9 %, of which about 8 % phytosterols, 97 % of them 4,4-dimethylsterols 'also known as triterpene alcohols', present as esters and in free form); it is concentrated in the olein when shea butter is fractionated and stays in the soap unsaponified. Check: the batch profile implies about 190 mg KOH/g; the measured 179-183 is about 5 % lower, in line with 6-7 % of unsaponifiable matter. FDA's response letter (signed 20 March 2020) summarises the material as 92 % (w/w) triglycerides and 8 % (w/w) unsaponifiable matter, with oleic acid 54 % and stearic acid 30 % of total fatty acids.
This record is part of the open ingredient database (ODbL). Found an error or a better primary source? The dataset is on GitHub; corrections with a document link are welcome.