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Fermenting shea nuts using the traditional pit method yields better physicochemical properties with potential environmental benefits

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Title: Fermenting shea nuts using the traditional pit method yields better physicochemical properties with potential environmental benefits
Authors: Turreira-García, Nerea, Nielsen, Nikoline J, Pattison, David I, Makowicz, Ewa, Walbeogo, Ella, Dao, Yaya, Christensen, Jan H, Pouliot, Mariève
Source: Sci Rep
Scientific Reports, Vol 15, Iss 1, Pp 1-14 (2025)
Turreira-García, N, Nielsen, N J, Pattison, D I, Makowicz, E, Walbeogo, E, Dao, Y, Christensen, J H & Pouliot, M 2025, ' Fermenting shea nuts using the traditional pit method yields better physicochemical properties with potential environmental benefits ', Scientific Reports, vol. 15, 9502 . https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-93921-6
Publisher Information: Springer Science and Business Media LLC, 2025.
Publication Year: 2025
Subject Terms: Plant Oils/metabolism, Food Handling, Food Handling/methods, Science, Nuts/chemistry, Vitellaria paradoxa, Vegetable fat quality, Article, Fosse, Burkina Faso, Fermentation, Medicine, Nuts, Humans, Plant Oils, Female, Lipid profiling, Indigenous and local knowledge
Description: Shea oil, a globally consumed commodity, is intricately linked to the labor of women in Sub-Saharan Africa. This study examines local perceptions and adoption of a traditional shea nut fermentation method using subterranean pits in rural West African communities, and the chemical profiles of the kernels processed through different traditional methods. Key findings are that 1) local processors prefer the pit method due to its convenience and efficiency, and 2) lipid analyses indicate that fermenting shea nuts for three to six months results in an optimal chemical profile, characterized by lower free fatty acid (more than threefold) and polar lipid (more than 15-fold) content compared to boiled kernels. This enhances quality and mechanical processability, both criteria desirable for industrial applications. This study fills an important gap by chemically characterizing a traditional shea processing practice that has received little scientific attention. The results imply that the pit method holds potential for industrial shea oil extraction and for reducing firewood and water use in producing communities. However, this potential depends on fair benefit-sharing, local communities' willingness to adopt the new practice, and overcoming the challenges for scaling up.
Document Type: Article
Other literature type
File Description: application/pdf
Language: English
ISSN: 2045-2322
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-025-93921-6
Access URL: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40108427
https://doaj.org/article/6a269cb5fc2a4c4c83e5e8c82eac7aaf
https://curis.ku.dk/ws/files/444392589/s41598-025-93921-6.pdf
Rights: CC BY NC ND
Accession Number: edsair.doi.dedup.....f9c9a70e98d38c844bc4ce3d50ea154a
Database: OpenAIRE
Description
Abstract:Shea oil, a globally consumed commodity, is intricately linked to the labor of women in Sub-Saharan Africa. This study examines local perceptions and adoption of a traditional shea nut fermentation method using subterranean pits in rural West African communities, and the chemical profiles of the kernels processed through different traditional methods. Key findings are that 1) local processors prefer the pit method due to its convenience and efficiency, and 2) lipid analyses indicate that fermenting shea nuts for three to six months results in an optimal chemical profile, characterized by lower free fatty acid (more than threefold) and polar lipid (more than 15-fold) content compared to boiled kernels. This enhances quality and mechanical processability, both criteria desirable for industrial applications. This study fills an important gap by chemically characterizing a traditional shea processing practice that has received little scientific attention. The results imply that the pit method holds potential for industrial shea oil extraction and for reducing firewood and water use in producing communities. However, this potential depends on fair benefit-sharing, local communities' willingness to adopt the new practice, and overcoming the challenges for scaling up.
ISSN:20452322
DOI:10.1038/s41598-025-93921-6