Which country produces the most shea nuts in West Africa?
Nigeria accounts for over 50 percent of the production in West Africa as indicated in Table 1 below. The reports of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and Oil Seeds Association of Nigeria (OSAN) confirm that Nigeria produces significant quantity of shea nuts annually.
Where does shea butter grow in Nigeria?
In Nigeria, Shea tree grows in Niger, Kwara, Kebbi, Kaduna, Kogi, Benue, Ogun and Oyo States. Shea butter, a slightly yellowish or ivory-coloured fat, is widely used in cosmetics as a moisturizer, salve or lotion.
How are shea nuts dried?
Fresh shea fruit were collected, de-pulped, boiled and dried using methods such as sun drying, traditional oven drying and manually operated rotary drying. The fresh shea nuts were subjected to boiling times of 0, 15, 30, 45 and 60 minutes before drying.
What is the major constraint in expanding shea nut processing and marketing?
It has been indicated that the main problem encountered in marketing of Shea products is FFA and aflatoxin content in the nut while in storage. For the butter, the main problem is both the FFA and impurities. This paper identifies lack of value addition as the major constraint in expanding Shea nut processing and marketing in Nigeria.
Can shea butter be produced in Africa?
While there is currently much international interest in developing the potential of shea butter production in Africa, the role of the fruit pulp in the local diet needs to be taken into consideration in development programs. The world is really making a turn to natural and bioderived chemicals/products.
Is unrefined shea butter consistent with African regional standards?
The results obtained show some consistency with standard literature values of some parameters like refractive index, density and moisture content, however some other key parameters like saponification value, free fatty acid, Iodine value and peroxide value were found to be at variance with African regional standards for unrefined shea butter.