DEVELOPING TECHNIQUES FOR THE TOTAL

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DEVELOPING TECHNIQUES FOR THE TOTAL UTILIZATION
OF THE SHEA FRUIT BY ACULEY, P.C. COCOA
RESEARCH INSTITUTE OF GHANA, NEW TAFO - AKIM
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INTRODUCTION The shea fruit is produced by the
shea tree (Butyrospermum parodoxum). It takes
about five to six months to mature from fruit
set. The unripe fruit is generally green but
attains greenish to yellow-green colour when
fully ripe. The fruit consist of a sweat flesh
pulp, which surround the nut and the shell,which
houses the kernel. The fruit is processed mainly
for the kernel from which the shea butter is
extracted.
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Apart from this butter which is well known,
appreciated and in great demand among chocolates
manufacturers and pharmaceutical companies who
appreciate and price it for its smooth creamy
texture or mildness and for its skin healing and
for protective properties (Michael and
Koffi,2001). The rest of the fruit had not been
used for any commercial purpose.
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During the primary processing of the shea fruit,
the sweat fleshing pulp,which is edible, the
shell from the nut and the expressed kernel cake
are generally left to go waste. It is estimated
that Burkina Faso produces some 460,000 tonnes of
kernel annually and Cote DIvoire between 17,000
to 20,000 tonnes (Michael and Koffi, 2001).
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The production figure for Ghana is 150,000 and
the CRIG substation at Bole produces between
8,000 and 12,000 tonnes annually. Other producing
countries include Niger, Benin, Sudan, Mali and
Uganda. This means that every year several
hundred thousand of shea fruit pulp,shell and
kernel waste are generated..
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Though it is thought that this components of the
fruit can be processed into viable commercial
products, there is a dearth information about
them.
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The sweet pulp surrounding the shell could
contain good amount of fermentable sugars,
vitamins, organic acids, minerals etc.   To
exploit the full potentials of the fruit, it is
proposed that a better way of collecting and
processing the whole fruit be developed.
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FLOWCHART FOR THE PROCESSING OF SHEA
FRUIT Collection Sorting Washing wholesome
fruits
Washing blemished fruits Pormace
Depulping Sheanut
Depulping Drying
Extraction Washing
Extraction Animal feed Blending
Parboiling
Fermentation
Pasteurization Drying
Distillation
Packaging Cracking
Blending
Kernel
Shell Bottling
Drying
Drying Crashing
Ashing Roasting
Fertilizer Extraction
Butter Expeller Cake Animal Feed
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Activities to be undertaken 1. To study the
fruiting and ripening pattern of the shea
fruit. 2. To look at the present collecting
method and design better method if
necessary 3. To sort out the wholesome and
damaged fruits. 4. To weigh pulp, shell and
kernel and determine the weight relationship
between them.
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5. To determine the chemical composition of the
pulp e.g. carbohydrate, protein, moisture,
minerals and vitamins. 6. To assess the pectin
content and jell forming properties of the
pulp. 7. Ferment the pulp juice or mast into
wine and / or distill the fermented product into
alcohol. 8. To investigate other uses of the
shell and the spent kernel.
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• TECHNOLOGIES FOR PROCESSING SHEA FRUIT
• Designing and developing techniques for easy
  and efficient means for harvesting and
  collecting the shea fruits for processing.
• Ø  Develop rapid and efficient way for sorting
  and categorizing wholesome and damage fruits.
• Ø  Design and develop method for cleaning the
  fruit.

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• Ø Design and develop equipment for de-pulping
  the nuts.
• Ø Develop efficient way to boil the nuts
• Design and develop technologies for rapid
  and efficient way for drying both nut and kernel
  in most hygienic manner.
• Design machines for cracking the nuts and
  separating the kernel.

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• Design roasters, milling and fat
  extracting machines to ensure efficiency and
  quality.
• Ø Design pulp homogenizers and presses to
  extract the pulp juice for various
  products including, fresh juice, syrups
  preserves, butters etc.

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• Design and develop fermentation
  techniques for pressed juice from damaged pulps
  into alcohol and blended alcoholic beverages.
• Ø Design machines for sorting and grading
  nuts and kernel according to size.

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Some facts and figures on the shea in
Ghana.   Variation in fruit size in the 3 shea
producing regard in Ghana.   Fruit Size
Fat Content   Northern Region 12.4 and
17.2 g (14.7) 45.0 and 62, (50.44)   Upper
East 18.1 and 30.2 g (24) 43.0 and
58.1 (53.00)   Upper West 20.6 and 28.4 g
(25) 45.5 and 54.3 (52.00)   No correction
between fruit weights and fat content.
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THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION