Abstract: The present invention relates to a new process for obtaining fatty acid alkyl esters from fatty acid containing lipids, i.e. mono-, di- and triglycerides and phospholipids, in a membrane contactor.

Abstract: There is provided a process for reducing the free fatty acid content of natural oils by contacting the crude natural oil with a solvent to produce an oil product phase substantially depleted in free fatty acids and a free fatty acid rich solvent phase containing the extracted free fatty acids and some of the glycerides, and processing the free fatty acid rich solvent phase with a membrane to recover the glycerides from the solvent phase, comprising the steps of: (a) contacting the crude natural oil with an immiscible solvent; (b) separating the deacidifed natural oil phase from the solvent phase; (c) providing a selectively permeable membrane having a first surface and a second surface; (d) transferring a portion of the solvent and a portion of the free fatty acids and a lesser portion of the glycerides from the first surface to the second surface across the membrane by contacting the free fatty acid rich solvent phase with the first surface, wherein the pressure at the first surface is greater than the press