Process for obtaining carotene from palm oil

摘要

PCT No. PCT/EP96/01040 Sec. 371 Date Oct. 22, 1997 Sec. 102(e) Date Oct. 22, 1997 PCT Filed Mar. 11, 1996 PCT Pub. No. WO96/29306 PCT Pub. Date Sep. 26, 1996Carotene is recovered from a native fat or oil in five process steps in an economical industrial process. The native fat or oil is catalytically reacted in known manner with an alkanol containing up to 4 carbon atoms to form fatty acid alkyl ester and glycerol. The ester phase of the reaction mixture is subjected to distillation to remove the fatty acid alkyl ester. The distillation residue obtained in the second process step is saponified, carotene is extracted from the product obtained in the third process step and the extract phase is concentrated by evaporation. A yield of at least about 80% is achieved. At the same time, a fatty acid alkyl ester suitable for further processing to fatty alcohol is provided.