Process for producing sterol or stanol esters by enzymatic transesterification in solvent and water-free media

摘要

A process for producing steryl or stanyl esters, comprising the steps of: a) forming a reacting mixture by contacting a lipase with a reactant mixture wherein the reactant mixture comprises sterols or stanols and one or more esters selected from the group consisting of esters of a fatty acid with a short chain aliphatic alcohol; b) separating the lipase from the reacting mixture to form a reacted mixture, and c) separating steryl or stanyl esters from the reacted mixture. The reaction is carried out in stirred reactors at pressures below atmospheric pressure and temperatures from 30 to 90 DEG C. The separation of esters from the reacted mixtures is carried out by distillation at low pressures.