Abstract: Separation of an edible oil into liquid and solid fractions. The edible oil is dissolved in about 0.5-4 parts by weight of a solvent being a C.sub.2 -C.sub.3 alkanol containing about 2 to 10% by weight of water and the solution is cooled to a temperature at which it separates into two liquid phases and a solid fraction crystallizes. The crystallized solid fraction floats in the upper liquid phase and is recovered therefrom. The liquid fraction of the oil is recovered from the lower liquid phase.

Abstract: Liquid edible oil is produced from palm oil or similar oils and fats. The fatty acid residues are redistributed between two batches of the starting oil by transesterification with (C.sub.1 -C.sub.3)-alkanol esters of fatty acids. One batch is reacted with unsaturated fatty acid esters (first transesterification) and is thereby enriched with unsaturated fatty acid radicals, while the other batch is reacted with saturated esters (second transesterification) and is thereby enriched with saturated fatty acid radicals. In both transesterifications a mixture of saturated and unsaturated fatty acid esters is obtained, which is fractionated by vacuum distillation. The saturated esters obtained from the first transesterification are fed into the second one and, conversely, the unsaturated esters obtained from the second transesterification are fed into the first one.