Abstract: Polyol polyesters useful as nondigestible fat substitutes are prepared by improved heterogeneous interesterification processes between fatty acid esters of easily removable alcohol and polyol characterized by having one or more improvements such as using low levels of soap emulsifying agent, catalyst, and/or excess fatty acid ester; reducing the size of the polyol by mechanical means; removing extraneous particulate material during the reaction; using low temperature and/or high pressure and compensating by increasing the mass transfer area; and/or using backmixing in the initial stage(s) and plug-flow conditions in the final stage(s).

Abstract: A process for recovering symmetrical diglycerides from mixtures of mono-, di- and triglycerides is disclosed. The process comprises forming a solution of a glyceride mixture having from 5% to 60% triglyceride, from 15% to 70% symmetrical diglyceride, from 1% to 40% asymmetrical diglyceride and from 8% to 50% monoglyceride in a mixture of non-polar and polar organic solvents in a ratio of 2:1 to 20:1; inducing and maintaining crystallization of the symmetrical diglyceride, e.g., by cooling, while maintaining the temperature of the mixture below the saturation temperature of the symmetrical diglyceride and above the saturation temperature of the remaining components of the glyceride mixture; and recovering solid symmetrical diglyceride product. The process permits recovery of symmetrical diglyceride in a single crystallization step and in high purity.

Abstract: Reacting a partial polyol monocarboxylic acid ester with an acidic anhydride in the presence of a catalytic amount of boron trifluoride to produce specific complete mixed polyol esters, especially confectioner's hard butter.