Abstract

Abstract Extracellular microbial lipases can be used as catalysts for the interesterification of oils and fats. Use of specific lipases gives products which are unobtainable by chemical interesterification methods. Some of these products have properties of value to the oils and fats industry. The catalysts for enzymatic interesterification are prepared by coating inorganic support materials with the lipases. For batch interesterification reactions, the catalyst particles are activated by addition of a small amount of water and then stirred with a reactant mixture dissolved in petroleum ether. At the end of the reaction period, the catalyst particles are removed by filtration, and the interesterified triglycerides isolated by conventional fat fractionation techniques. The catalyst can be used in subsequent batch reactions. As an alternative to the batch reaction system, continuous enzymatic interesterification processes can be operated by pumping water containg feedstock through a packed bed of activated catalyst.