Patent ID: 6956125

Claim:
A process for producing sterols, said process comprising: (a) providing a fatty acid production-residue, said residue comprising sterol esters, free fatty acids, and partial glycerides; (b) removing the free fatty acids; (c) transesterifying the partial glycerides with a lower alcohol in the presence of a basic catalyst under mild transesterification conditions to form fatty acid alkyl esters and glycerol; (d) removing excess lower alcohol, the basic catalyst, the glycerol and the fatty acid alkyl esters, to form a bottom product comprising the sterol esters; and (e) transesterifying the sterol esters at a temperature of from 115° C. to 145° C. and a pressure of from 2 to 10 bar for a period of from 3 to 10 hours to form free sterols.