Abstract: A process for the preparation of amphoglycinates from vegetable oils or butters, which comprises:
a) reacting a source of vegetable triglycerids with aminoethylethanolamine in the presence of bases to give a hydroxyethylimidazoline of formula (II)
wherein R is the residue of the vegetable triglycerid fatty acid;
b) reacting compound (II) with an alkali or alkaline-earth monohaloacetate at pH above 9, followed by acidification.