17 - Methods and Technologies Related to Shea Butter Chemophysical Properties and to the Delivery of Bioactives in Chocolate and Related Products

Abstract

The major raw materials for production of vegetable oil in the world are sunflower, palm, soya bean, and cotton seeds; however, the usefulness of indigenous and semi-domesticated plants and trees as vegetable oil source is starting to percolate into the awareness and knowledge of agro-foresters, entrepreneurs, and the public. The shea butter tree is indigenous to the wild and dry savannah belt of West Africa from Senegal in the west to Sudan in the east and grows onto the foothills of the Ethiopian highlands. Shea butter, which is the fat extracted from the seeds of the shea tree fruits, is becoming increasingly popular as a component of cosmetic formulations, in addition to its longstanding use as a cocoa butter substitute in the chocolate industry. The predominated fatty acids in shea butter are oleic and stearic acid; however, only the hard fraction is useful to the chocolate industry. Due to its chemical and physical properties, shea butter is an excellent cocoa butter equivalent and improver, which helps in achieving the desirable organoleptic characteristics of the chocolate. Moreover, the high levels of antioxidants in shea butter may impede rancidity and confer more stability to confectionary products.