Patent ID: 6855837

Claim:
A process for preparing a stanol fatty acid ester or mixture thereof, the process comprising: hydrogenating a sterol or mixture thereof in a hydrogenation solvent in the presence of a hydrogenation catalyst at elevated temperatures, to produce a stanol or mixture thereof; thereafter separating the hydrogenation catalyst and the stanol or mixture thereof without separating the stanol or mixture thereof and the hydrogenation solvent; thereafter combining the stanol or mixture thereof and the hydrogenation solvent with (1) a transesterification reagent comprising a lower alkyl fatty acid ester and (2) a transesterification catalyst; optionally, simultaneous with or after the combining of the stanol or mixture thereof with the transesterification reagent, separating at least a portion of the hydrogenation solvent and the stanol or mixture thereof; and transesterifying the stanol or mixture thereof with the lower alkyl fatty acid ester, to produce a stanol fatty acid ester or mixture thereof.