Abstract: A process for the removal of sterols and/or lipid components (e.g., cholesterol and fats) from lipid containing food (e.g., meat) using sub or supercritical fluids (e.g., CO.sub.2) involves initial processing of the food to produce an intermediate moisture product in which substantially all of the "free water" but not all of the "bound water" is removed. Different moisture removal techniques may be used. Where freeze drying of food flakes is adopted the moisture level is preferable reduced to 30-55% w/w. The intermediate moisture product is treated with supercritical CO.sub.2 to remove the lipids therefrom. Optionally the cholesterol can be separated from the fat component by use of an adsorbent to selectively remove the cholesterol from the supercritical CO.sub.2. The product can be reconstituted with water and fat to provide a reconstituted meat product suitable for hamburgers.

Abstract: A process for the removal of sterols and/or lipid components (e.g., cholesterol and fats) from lipid containing food (e.g., meat) using sub or super-critical fluids (e.g., CO.sub.2) involves initial processing of the food to produce an intermediate moisture product in which substantially all of the "free water" but not all of the "bound water" is removed. Different moisture removal techniques may be used. Where freeze drying of food flakes is adopted the moisture level is preferably reduced to 30-55% w/w. The intermediate moisture product is treated with supercritical CO.sub.2 to remove the lipids therefrom. Optionally the cholesterol can be separated from the fat component by use of an absorbent to selectively remove the cholesterol from the supercritical CO.sub.2. The product can be reconstituted with water and fat to provide a reconstituted meat product suitable for hamburgers.

Abstract: A process for separating sterols from lipids, (e.g. cholesterol from butter fat) using sub or supercritical fluids (such as CO.sub.2) by dissolving the sterol/lipid mixture in a high pressure physiologically acceptable fluid (either as a high pressure liquid or as a high pressure sub or supercritical gas), to form a high pressure fluid mixture, and then contacting the high pressure fluid mixture with an adsorbent material chosen from the group consisting of calcium hydroxide, calcium oxide, calcium carbonate, magnesium carbonate and magnesium hydroxide to selectively adsorb sterols on the adsorbent material, and then removing the substantially sterol free lipids from the high pressure fluid.