# Bugs in my Shea Butter



## Midwitch (Aug 20, 2017)

So I got 5lbs of Shea butter from essential Depot.....and all 5lbs are speckled with little bug parts or whole bugs. I am so mad right now. This is actually my second 5lb brick, and the first one was fine. The bag it came in was intact. I put it inside an empty (clean) 5 gallon jug as soon as I got so it has been sealed. Has anyone else had a problem with this? I love unrefined Shea in my soap....guess the price was too good to be true.


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## penelopejane (Aug 20, 2017)

Midwitch said:


> So I got 5lbs of Shea butter from essential Depot.....and all 5lbs are speckled with little bug parts or whole bugs. I am so mad right now. This is actually my second 5lb brick, and the first one was fine. The bag it came in was intact. I put it inside an empty (clean) 5 gallon jug as soon as I got so it has been sealed. Has anyone else had a problem with this? I love unrefined Shea in my soap....guess the price was too good to be true.



Unrefined shea butter from any source can have fleas as well as twigs etc. 

That's why I buy refined shea butter and it's cheaper too.


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## divinegoddessoaps17 (Aug 20, 2017)

Midwitch said:


> So I got 5lbs of Shea butter from essential Depot.....and all 5lbs are speckled with little bug parts or whole bugs. I am so mad right now. This is actually my second 5lb brick, and the first one was fine. The bag it came in was intact. I put it inside an empty (clean) 5 gallon jug as soon as I got so it has been sealed. Has anyone else had a problem with this? I love unrefined Shea in my soap....guess the price was too good to be true.



wow-awful!  I buy shea butter from them and have never had a problem - so far!


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## lsg (Aug 20, 2017)

Can you heat it and strain out the bugs and bits?


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## allane (Aug 20, 2017)

I will  contact  the company  immediately. I am  aware that  Shea butter  attracts ants especially. It might  probably  be during  transit.   By the way  it is not  true  that unrefined Shea from any source is full of bugs. 

Grace


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## earlene (Aug 20, 2017)

It has not happened with any of the Shea I have ordered from them in the past 2 years, but I have not ordered any unrefined.


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## cmzaha (Aug 20, 2017)

allane said:


> I will  contact  the company  immediately. I am  aware that  Shea butter  attracts ants especially. It might  probably  be during  transit.   By the way  it is not  true  that unrefined Shea from any source is full of bugs.
> 
> Grace


It not un-common for unrefined shea to contain some plant material and a bug/bugs at times. I will usually find a cricket, and a chili pepper or two in my 25# blocks of un-refined shea. Fleas I have not seen but I am quite sure they are possible also.

If yours has a lot of bugs I would definitely call and complain. What I purchase I cannot call and complain because it comes from a person that imports it in from Ghana, so i get what I get, but it has never been filled with bugs.


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## Midwitch (Aug 20, 2017)

I will try heating and straining out the "bits"......just feels gross. I'll never buy from them again. It has been over a month since I purchased the Shea. I think contacting them would be futile.


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## GeezLouise (Aug 20, 2017)

Midwitch said:


> I will try heating and straining out the "bits"......just feels gross. I'll never buy from them again. It has been over a month since I purchased the Shea. I think contacting them would be futile.



I use nylon paint strainer bags to strain crushed honey comb to remove wax chunks and bee parts. While I've also made bags from sheer curtains purchased at second-hand stores, the paint bags are inexpensive and easy. Maybe it would work on shea butter.


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## Midwitch (Aug 20, 2017)

Great idea! I could do the whole brick at once.


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