Is butyrospermum parkii vegan?

Butyrospermum parkii is the scientific Latin botanical name for the African shea tree, used on ingredient labels to indicate shea butter or shea nut fat. It is derived from the kernels inside the fruit of the shea tree, which is native to West and Central Africa. To produce it, the harvested nuts are cleaned, dried, crushed, and mechanically pressed or boiled in water to separate the vegetable fat from the seed matter. In food manufacturing, this fat functions as a cocoa butter substitute in confectionery coatings and chocolate products, and it is also found in margarines, shortenings, and baked goods.

butyrospermum parkii is vegan because it comes exclusively from a botanical source. The extraction and refining processes utilize only plant seeds, with no animal tissues, animal fats, or animal-derived processing aids involved at any stage of manufacturing. Because shea fat does not have an animal-based equivalent or non-plant source, it remains entirely free of animal derivatives.