The kernel is the oil-bearing material that can be obtained by processing the shea nut fruit. The fruit primarily undergoes several processes – de-pulping, boiling, drying, deshelling, winnowing and sorting – to obtain the kernel from which the shea butter is extracted. Mechanical processing technology
Where are shea nuts produced in Burkina Faso?
The Sissili and Ziro provinces are the most important production centres. Further, shea nuts are the country’s third most important export after cotton and livestock. Since both shea nuts and shea butter are exported in huge quantities from Burkina Faso, their quality is extremely important.
Which country produces the most shea nut?
… of the po- tentials of shea nut indicate that major producing countries are found in West Africa. Available data from FAOSTAT (2013), shows that Nigeria has the highest potential of shea nut pro- duction.
What are the 4 layers of a shea nut?
The fruit is composed of four layers – the epicarp, mesocarp, shell and the kernel. The epicarp together with the mesocarp is called the pulp; the shell and the kernel compose the nut. The kernel is the oil-bearing material that can be obtained by processing the shea nut fruit.
Where does shea butter come from?
Due to this extended growth period, most shea butter is produced from naturally growing shea trees rather than shea plantations. The large plum-resembling fruits that the tree yields contain shea nuts, within which you find the shea kernel, which yields the fat that is shea butter.
How much Shea is produced in Burkina Faso?
Annual shea kernel production in Burkina Faso ranges from 70,000 to 300,000 tons [94, 180]. … Vitellaria paradoxa (C.F.Gaertn.) is a multipurpose tree species distributed in a narrow band across sub-Saharan Africa.