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Abstract

The present invention is related to a process for selectively transesterifying stanols in mixtures comprising sterols and stanols, and a process for separating sterols from said mixtures.The process of selective transesterification comprises the forming of a reacting mixture by contacting a selective lipase with a reactant mixture comprising sterols and stanols and an ester selected from the group consisting of esters of an organic acid with a short chain aliphatic alcohol. The transetrifying is carried out agitated reactors at pressures below atmospheric pressure and temperatures from 30 to 90.degree. C.The process for separating a fraction comprising sterols from a mixture comprising sterols and stanols comprises the steps: a) forming a reactive mixture by contacting a selective lipase with a reactant mixture comprising sterols and stanols and an ester selected from the group consisting of esters of an organic acid with a short chain aliphatic alcohol; b) forming a reacted mixture by separating the selective lipase from the reacting; and c) separating from the reacted mixture a fraction comprising sterols The reaction is carried out in agitated reactors at pressures below atmospheric pressure and temperatures from 30 to 90.degree. C.Recovering from the reacted mixture of a fraction comprising sterols comprise one or more distillation steps at reduced pressure or one or more distillation and crystallization steps.

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