Shea Butter: History, Culture, and Use

1
Shea Butter History, Culture, and Use
2
History and Legend

• From the Meroe Kingdom and Ibn Batouta to Mungo
  Park, it seems that all of western Africa stood
  in the shade of the karité, or shea butter tree,
  for many centuries.

3
History and Legend

• From the time the baby is welcomed to the world
  with a vigorous rub-down with shea butter to the
  dead kings bed which is specially made from the
  noble trunk of the shea tree, village life moves
  to the rhythm of this sacred tree, as do the
  lives of its women.

4
History and Legend

• Indeed, from July to December, all of womens
  activity revolves around collecting the nuts in
  the bush, selling them in the market and
  preparing the fruit from the tree to meet the
  familys household and culinary needs throughout
  the year.

5
History and Legend

• The natural antioxidant qualities of the shea
  nut allow this wild product to be stored.

6
The Discovery of Shea Butter by Mungo Park

• The scientific name Butyrospermum parkii was
  given to the shea tree in honour of the great
  Scottish explorer Mungo Park, who was the first
  European to travel up the Gambia River in the
  late 18th century.

7
The Discovery of Shea Butter by Mungo Park

• The Negro slave-merchants, who besides slaves,
  bring to sell to the whites, and supply the
  inhabitants of the maritime districts with native
  iron, sweet-smelling gums and frankincense, and a
  commodity called shea-toulou which, literally
  translates to shea butter.

8
The Discovery of Shea Butter by Mungo Park

• The people were everywhere employed in
  collecting the fruit of shea trees, from which
  they prepare the vegetable butter.
• These trees grow in great abundance all over
  this part of Bambara.

9
The Discovery of Shea Butter by Mungo Park

• They are not planted by the natives, but are
  found growing naturally in the woods and in
  clearing woodland for cultivation every tree is
  cut down but the shea.

10
Shea Tree
11
Shea Tree

• Family Sapotaceae
• Height The tree can reach a height of 10 to 15
  m.

12
Shea Tree

• The shea tree has a very long lifespan, up to 200
  years. It produces fruit after its fifteenth
  year, but doesnt reach full production until it
  is 25 years old.

13
Shea Tree

• The shea tree loses its leaves during the dry
  season and regains them during the rainy season.
• Five months after flowering (June to July), the
  ripe fruit falls to the ground.

14
Shea Fruits/Nuts/Kernels
15
The Shea Fruit

• The fleshy fruits grow in bunches and are ovoid
  berries of a deep green or brown colour, shaped
  like avocado.
• The sweet pulp is edible.
• Inside the fruit is a nut surrounded by a thin
  shell containing a hard kernel and a whitish
  almond-like nut that contains fat equal to about
  50 of its weight, called shea butter.

16
Shea Butter
17
Transformation of the Nut into Shea Butter

• 16 steps of hard work processing

18
Step 1 Collection of the fruit

• Shea fruits should be collected between May and
  September, according to agro-ecological areas.
• 2. Start collection before the fruits begin to
  germinate.
• 3. Collect only fruits that have fallen down,
  because they are mature.
• Handle the fruits carefully

19
Step 2 Removal of the pulp

• 1. After collection, remove the pulp manually
  (maximum delay is 3 days after collection).
• 2. Wash the nuts.

20
Step 3 Cooking

• Cook immediately after washing in order to
  inactivate the lipases and micro-organisms.
• The cooking time is two hours after water has
  reached boiling.

21
Step 4 Drying

• The boiled nuts quickly are spread to dry in the
  sun for two to three days.
• The moisture content of the dried nuts should not
  be over 7.

22
Step 5 Packaging

• The thoroughly dried nuts should be packaged
  in jute bags. The jute bags are porous, allowing
  air flow to reduce moisture / condensation and
  heat build-up.

23
Step 6 Storage

• Baskets are an alternative to jute bags.
• If stored in bags or baskets, the product can
  keep its shelf-life for a year.
• Storage should be done in dry, aerated rooms at
  ambient temperature.
• Avoid putting the bags directly on the ground,
  use palettes or flat big stones.

24
Step 7Dehulling (removal of shell)

• Dehulling of the dried nuts to extract the
  kernels should be done just before processing.
• Each nut is cracked by hand using a mortar and
  pestle. A dehuller machine can also be used.
• Separate the pericarp and the endosperm of the
  kernels (by winnowing).
• Sort out to remove the immature, germinated and
  spoiled kernels.
• After this, spread to sun-dry kernels once more.

25
Step 8Coarse Grinding

• 1. The traditional method of crushing the shea
  nuts is with a mortar and pestle.
• 2. Course ground powder (ready for toasting) can
  be obtained this way with no problems

26
Step 9Grilling of coarse powder

• The coarsely crushed shea powder is grilled
  slightly to decrease their moisture content.
• The length of toasting/grilling depends on the
  existing moisture content of the powder.
• The existing moisture content of the powder is
  judged by the texture if granules easily
  separate or not.

27
Step 10Fine Grinding

• Use a mechanical grinder to obtain a fine, thick
  nut paste.
• Generally, the finer the particles, the higher
  the extraction yield.

28
Step 11Kneading

• The shea paste is mixed with portions of clean,
  potable water. This thick mixture is kneaded and
  then more water is added. Kneading initiates the
  separation of oil from the other components.
• As more water is added, the mixture is churned
  (French barratage).

29
Step 12Churning

• Portions of hot and cold water are alternatively
  added to the churned mixture. It is beaten
  vigorously until a white emulsion forms.
• This emulsion is washed 7 times to remove the
  pieces of endosperm.

30
Step 13Heating of Oil and Crystallization

• Put a small quantity of water in cooking pan and
  then heat the emulsion. The end of the heating is
  determined when white foam forms on the surface
  of the liquid oil.
• After cooling, the oil is filtered several times.

31
Final Product

• After heating and crystallization, the final
  product is a creamy ivory-colored butter.

32
Step 14 Conditioning and packaging

• To maintain physo-chemical qualities, shea butter
  should be stored and packaged in plastic or
  aluminum containers previously washed and dried.
• The packaging should be a dark color and opaque.

33
Step 15 Labeling

• Labeling and packaging should be attractive to
  consumers and should indicate
• composition/ingredients
• production date
• shelf-life

34
Step 16Preservation

• Shea butter perfectly conditioned and packaged
  has a self-life of at least one year. The storage
  conditions are
• Avoid exposure to air and moisture (moisture
  content of product should be lt 1).
• Condition in an opaque plastic package to avoid
  exposure to light and oxidation.
• Avoid packaging components containing iron.

35
Use

• HOW DO AFRICAN PEOPLE USE THE TREE BUTTER THAT
  BRAVE YOUNG MUNGO PARK DESCRIBED OVER 200 YEARS
  AGO?
• One-half of the delicious and nutritious butter
  is eaten at home.
• It is an important cooking fat and keeps well for
  months.

36
Use

• The butter or oil is used to treat
• skin and scalp problems
• stiff muscles and wounds and many, many other
  ailments
• It is also used to treat the sores and injuries
  of animals.

37
Use

• The nut meal is used to
• Waterproof buildings, mend cracks
• Feed animals

38
Use

• The remaining black residue is used to
• Fill more cracks
• As a fire starter

39
Use

• AND THE REST OF THE TREE?
• Shea Tree leaves are put in the doorway of a
  house where a baby is being born to protect the
  newborn child.
• Shea Tree leaves are placed over the body of a
  dead person.

40
Use

• Shea Tree leaves contain foaming substance and
  are used for washing soap.
• They are made into a tea for stomach aches, a
  vapour bath for headaches, and an eye bath.

41
Use

• Shea Tree roots are used as teeth-cleaning
  chewing sticks.
• The roots are ground and used in a preparation to
  treat jaundice, diarrhea and stomach ache.

42
Use

• A liquid made by soaking Shea Tree bark in water
  is used as a cattle wormer and to treat leprosy,
  stomach upset, diarrhea and dysentery in humans.
• Bark liquid can counteract the effects of eye
  damage caused by the spitting cobra.

43
Use

• Shea Tree nut husks are used for garden mulch,
  fertilizer, and fuel.
• Shea Tree wood is heavy, strong and resistant to
  termites.

44
Use

• The inferior Shea Butter is used to
• Grease donkey carts
• Waterproof doors and windows
• Waterproof beehives
• As fuel for lamps

45
Use

• Today
• (in addition)
• Shea Nuts and Butter are used
• Chocolate Industry
• Pharmacy
• Cosmetics

46
Properties of Shea Butter

• Healing
• Body Ache
• Massage
• Moisturizer
• Anti-aging
• Protect against sun damage
• Stretch-marks
• Hair dryness and damage

47
African ExtractedShea Butter

• 100
• Pure, Natural, Organic
• Let your skin drink in the benefit of this
  unscented pure moisturizer

48
African ExtractedShea Butter

• Use and Contribute to
• Feed some people
• Educate children
• Better the life of rural women in this part of
  the world
• Protect the environment

49
Boutique

• Please visit my booth in the back of the room to
  sample or buy some african shea butter