Illipe Butter
Illipe butter is the fat pressed from the nut of Shorea stenoptera and related Shorea species, dipterocarp trees of the Borneo rainforest. Local names include tengkawang. The nut is collected from the forest floor, dried and pressed. The fat is hard, pale and brittle, with a melting behaviour close to that of cocoa butter, which is why it is one of the recognised cocoa butter equivalents used in chocolate and confectionery. It is also used in high end skincare, lip products and hair conditioners, and in soap.
Listed illipe butter markets
Each line is a grade at a delivery point. Open one for its full specification and terms.
Grades
Illipe is graded on the pressing and refining route and on the melting behaviour figures that decide whether it will work as a cocoa butter equivalent, because that is what the fat is bought for.
Processing route and form
9 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| Crude illipe butterPressed from dried nut, unrefined | Off white to pale grey, retains the raw odour. Sold to refiners and to the traditional cosmetic trade. |
| Refined, bleached and deodorisedFully refined by the stated route | The confectionery grade. Near white, odourless. |
| Fractionated stearinFractionated to the stated melting profile | The cocoa butter equivalent cut proper. |
| Cold pressedMechanically pressed with the press outlet held below a stated temperature | Temperature is a contract term, not an adjective. It preserves the minor components and the flavour, and it costs yield. |
| Expeller pressedMechanically pressed without a declared temperature ceiling | Higher yield, darker oil, higher free fatty acids. |
| Solvent extractedHexane extraction of the seed or of the press cake | The highest yield route. Residual solvent is a contract and regulatory term. |
| FiltrationDeclared: unfiltered, filtered to a stated micron rating, or winterised | Determines clarity and behaviour at low temperature. |
| Nut drying routeDeclared: sun dried, kiln dried or smoke dried | Smoke drying is traditional in Borneo and it is what puts polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons into the fat, so the route is a contract term. |
| OrganicCertified under the destination market scheme, with dedicated pressing | Named on the contract with the certifier and certificate number, because the press line has to be documented as well as the crop. |
Quality and condition
17 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| Cocoa butter equivalenceCompatibility with cocoa butter on a stated blend test | Measured by solid fat content and by eutectic behaviour on a blend, not asserted. This is the reason the fat is bought. |
| Species declarationNamed Shorea species, declared | The Shorea species differ in melting behaviour. The name on the contract matters. |
| Free fatty acidsPercentage, expressed as the stated reference acid | Determined by ISO 660. The controlling commercial figure. It rises with poor fruit or seed, slow processing and wet storage. |
| Peroxide valueMilliequivalents of active oxygen per kilogram | Determined by ISO 3960. Measures oxidation already under way. |
| Anisidine valueDimensionless, by the standard method | Determined by ISO 6885. Measures secondary oxidation, which peroxide value alone will miss in an oil that has already turned over. |
| TotoxTwice the peroxide value plus the anisidine value | The combined oxidation term, where a buyer contracts one number. |
| Moisture and volatile matterMaximum percentage by mass | Determined by ISO 662. |
| Insoluble impuritiesMaximum percentage by mass | Determined by ISO 663. |
| ColourLovibond red and yellow in a stated cell length, or a stated instrumental scale | Measured, not described. |
| Iodine valueGrams of iodine per 100 grams | Determined by ISO 3961. Measures unsaturation, and with it drying behaviour and oxidative stability. |
| Saponification valueMilligrams of potassium hydroxide per gram | Determined by ISO 3657. An identity figure. |
| Unsaponifiable matterMaximum percentage by mass | The fraction that is not fatty acid. Carries the sterols, tocopherols and the value in the cosmetic trade. |
| Refractive indexAt a stated temperature | A fast identity and adulteration check. |
| Soap contentMilligrams per kilogram | Applies to refined oil. Residue from neutralisation. |
| PhosphorusMilligrams per kilogram | The measure of residual gums. Governs whether the oil will behave in downstream processing. |
| Slip melting pointDegrees Celsius, by the standard method | The controlling figure for a solid fat. |
| Solid fat contentPercentage solid at each stated temperature, by pulsed NMR | The full melting profile. What a formulator actually contracts on. |
Composition and authenticity
6 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| Stearic and oleic acidPercentage of the fatty acid profile | The two fatty acids that dominate this fat and that set its melting behaviour. |
| Symmetrical triacylglycerolsPercentage, by HPLC, reported as SOS, POS and POP | The determining structural measure for a cocoa butter equivalent. It is what makes the fat snap and melt like cocoa butter rather than merely resemble it. |
| Fatty acid profilePercentage of each fatty acid by gas chromatography of the methyl esters | Determined by ISO 12966. The fingerprint of the oil and the first authenticity check. |
| Sterol compositionPercentage of each sterol and total sterol content | Determined by ISO 12228. Detects blending with a cheaper oil that shares a similar fatty acid profile. |
| Tocopherols and tocotrienolsMilligrams per kilogram, by HPLC | The natural antioxidant content. Governs shelf life and is a value term in cosmetics. |
| Triacylglycerol compositionBy HPLC, reported as the distribution | A second authenticity layer, because it is far harder to counterfeit than a fatty acid profile. |
Contaminants
8 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbonsMicrograms per kilogram, benzo(a)pyrene and the sum of four | Comes from direct fire drying and smoke contact at origin. Tested against destination market limits. |
| 3-MCPD esters and glycidyl estersMicrograms per kilogram | Formed at high refining temperatures. Applies to refined oil. |
| Mineral oil hydrocarbonsMilligrams per kilogram, MOSH and MOAH | Comes from lubricants, jute bags and transport. Tested where the destination market requires it. |
| Solvent residueMilligrams per kilogram of hexane | Applies to solvent extracted oil. |
| Pesticide residuesMilligrams per kilogram | Tested against destination market maximum residue limits. |
| Heavy metalsMilligrams per kilogram | Lead, arsenic, cadmium, iron and copper. Iron and copper matter twice over, because they catalyse oxidation in the drum. |
| Dioxins and PCBsPicograms of toxic equivalent per gram of fat | Tested where the destination market requires it. |
| AflatoxinsMicrograms per kilogram | Applies where the oilseed or kernel carries a mould risk before pressing. |
Certification and packing claims
9 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| Forest sourced and community collectedDocumented collection chain, with the collecting community or cooperative named | The nut is gathered from natural forest, not from plantation. Where a community or conservation claim is made, it is evidenced at every transfer. |
| Deforestation freeDeclaration with geolocation evidence for the collection area | Required for European placement and increasingly elsewhere. |
| OrganicCertificate under the destination market scheme | EU, NOP, JAS or an equivalence arrangement. Named on the contract with the certifier and certificate number. |
| Fairtrade, Fair for Life or equivalentCertificate and transaction certificate | Named scheme, with the transaction certificate issued for the specific lot. |
| Kosher and HalalCertificate from the named authority | Certificate travels with the lot. |
| Food grade or cosmetic gradeDeclared, with the corresponding specification | Determines the applicable limits and the packing. |
| Non GMODeclaration, with PCR testing on the source material where required | Applies where the crop has a genetically modified counterpart. |
| Chain of custodyDocumented from harvest to press to drum | Evidenced at every transfer where the lot carries an origin or a community claim. |
| PackingDeclared: flexitank, ISO tank, drum, jerrycan or IBC, with liner and headspace treatment | Nitrogen blanketing and liner type are contract terms, because they decide what the peroxide value looks like on arrival, not on shipment. |
Grades outside this list trade on request. Send us the contract specification you work to and we will price against it.
Locations
| Country | Region | We trade it as |
|---|---|---|
| Indonesia | Southeast Asia | Origin |
| Malaysia | Southeast Asia | Origin |
| Brunei | Southeast Asia | Origin |
| Singapore | Southeast Asia | Origin and destination |
| Netherlands | Europe | Origin and destination |
| Germany | Europe | Destination |
| Belgium | Europe | Origin and destination |
| Switzerland | Europe | Destination |
| France | Europe | Destination |
| Italy | Europe | Destination |
| United Kingdom | Europe | Destination |
| Spain | Europe | Destination |
| Poland | Europe | Destination |
| Austria | Europe | Destination |
| Denmark | Europe | Destination |
| Sweden | Europe | Destination |
| United States | North America | Destination |
| Canada | North America | Destination |
| Mexico | North America | Destination |
| Brazil | South America | Destination |
| Japan | East Asia | Destination |
| South Korea | East Asia | Destination |
| China | East Asia | Destination |
| Taiwan | East Asia | Destination |
| India | South Asia | Destination |
| Turkiye | Middle East | Destination |
| United Arab Emirates | Middle East | Destination |
| Australia | Oceania | Destination |
| South Africa | Africa | Destination |
| Russia | Europe | Destination |
Origins and destinations outside this list trade on request. We are not limited to the locations shown here.
Timing
Harvest is when the crop is taken at origin. Arrival is when a shipment from that origin typically lands in a consuming market. The gap between them is processing, grading and the voyage.
HarvestArrival
| Origin | J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D | Window |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indonesia | Harvest | Harvest | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest | Harvest | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest Jan to Aug, arrival Mar to NovWest Kalimantan principally, with Central and East Kalimantan. The tree masts irregularly rather than annually, so a heavy crop can be followed by a very light one. Supply and price move with the mast, not with a calendar. | ||
| Malaysia | Harvest | Harvest | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest | Harvest | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest Jan to Aug, arrival Mar to NovSarawak and Sabah. Same irregular masting pattern as the Kalimantan crop. | ||
| Brunei | Harvest | Harvest | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest | Harvest | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest Jan to Aug, arrival Mar to NovSmall collection volume from natural forest. |
Windows outside this pattern trade on request, including carry, forward positions and stock already sitting in a destination warehouse.
Customs, packing and contract terms
Indicative terms for illipe butter. Tariff classification is the importer’s responsibility and limits change, so confirm both against the destination customs authority and the current regulation before you fix a contract.
- HS heading1515.90 Other fixed vegetable fats, including illipe butter
- PackingFlexitanks of 20 t to 24 t, IBCs of 1000 litres, or 190 kg lacquer lined steel drums. Butters and solid fats in 25 kg cartons or 200 kg drums. Nitrogen blanket for oils that oxidise.
- Container loading20ft: one flexitank at 20 t to 24 t, or 80 drums at roughly 15 t. Heated stow or heating coils where the fat solidifies below deck temperature.
- Contract and arbitrationFOSFA contracts with FOSFA arbitration in London, or NIOP trading rules for United States trade. Free fatty acid, moisture and impurities, peroxide value and colour are the operative quality clauses, established on FOSFA analysis methods.
- Destination limitsEU limits on 3-MCPD esters and glycidyl esters in refined oils and erucic acid limits under Regulation 2023/915, pesticide MRLs under Regulation 396/2005, and novel food authorisation under Regulation 2015/2283 for oils without a pre-1997 EU history of consumption. US FDA food additive and GRAS status applies.
Common questions
What grades of illipe butter does SIP Global trade?
We quote 49 published grades of illipe butter, including Crude illipe butter - Pressed from dried nut, unrefined, Refined, bleached and deodorised - Fully refined by the stated route, Fractionated stearin - Fractionated to the stated melting profile, Cold pressed - Mechanically pressed with the press outlet held below a stated temperature, Expeller pressed - Mechanically pressed without a declared temperature ceiling and Solvent extracted - Hexane extraction of the seed or of the press cake. Every grade is tied to a delivery point and a settlement route. Grades outside the published list are priced on request.
How is illipe butter graded?
Illipe is graded on the pressing and refining route and on the melting behaviour figures that decide whether it will work as a cocoa butter equivalent, because that is what the fat is bought for. Grading runs on 5 systems: Processing route and form, Quality and condition, Composition and authenticity, Contaminants and Certification and packing claims.
Where does SIP Global trade illipe butter?
We trade illipe butter in Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, Singapore, Netherlands, Germany, Belgium and Switzerland and 22 further markets. Origins and destinations outside this list trade on request. We are not limited to the locations shown.
When is illipe butter harvested and when does it arrive?
Typical windows are Indonesia: harvest jan to aug, arrival mar to nov; Malaysia: harvest jan to aug, arrival mar to nov; Brunei: harvest jan to aug, arrival mar to nov. Harvest is when the lot is taken at origin, arrival is when a shipment from that origin lands in a consuming market. Windows outside this pattern, including carry, trade on request.
What is the HS code for illipe butter?
Illipe butter is normally classified under HS 1515.90 (other fixed vegetable fats, including illipe butter). The heading follows the form the goods are in at the border, and national tariffs extend it beyond six digits, so confirm the full line with the destination customs authority before you fix a contract.
How do I get a price for illipe butter?
Send the grade, the origin and the delivery window to the SIP Global desk. That is enough for a trader to come back with a level and a settlement route. 1 listed illipe butter market is published on this page, each with its full specification and terms. We take both sides, physical and financial, prompt to long dated.
Standards and data sources
The grading language on this sheet follows published standards. Trade volumes and tariff lines are public record. Verify anything here against the source.
- ISOInternational Organization for Standardization
- Codex AlimentariusFAO and WHO food standards
- UN ComtradeOfficial international trade statistics by HS code
- ITC Trade MapBilateral trade flows and tariff data
- FAOSTATFAO production and trade series for agricultural commodities
Price this with our desk
Grade, origin and window if you have them. If what you are carrying does not fit the sheet above, describe it in your own words and a trader will take it from there.