Recovery of sterols

Claim 1

IN A PROCESS OF OBTAINING A CONCENTRATE OF STEROLS, THE STEPS OF ACIDIFYING A SOAP FROM A GLYCERIDE OIL CONTAINING STEROLS OF LIBERATE FREE FATTY ACIDS, WASHING THE RESULTANT MIXTURE COMPRISING FATTY ACIDS OF DIFFERENT DEGREES OF SATURATION AND UNSAPONIFIABLE MATTER OF GLYCERIDE OIL WITH WATER TO REMOVE WATER SOLUBLE CONSTITUENTS, THEN INTIMATELY COMMINGLING SAID MIXTURE WITH A SYSTEM OF A POLAR SOLVENT AND A NON-POLAR SOLVENT, WHICH IS NOT COMPLETELY MISCIBLE WITH THE POLAR SOLVENT, SEPARATING THE SYSTEM INTO TWO PHASES, ONE OF WHICH COMPRISES A LIQUID EXTRACT PHASE OF POLAR SOLVENT IN WHICH ARE DISSOLVED FATTY ACIDS OF A RELATIVELY HIGH DEGREE OF UNSATURATION AND A LOW STEROL CONTENT, AND THE OTHER OF WHICH COMPRISES A LIQUID RAFFINATE PHASE OF NON-POLAR SOLVENT IN WHICH IS DISSOLVED A FRACTION OF RELATIVELY MORE SATURATED FATTY ACIDS ENRICHED IN STEROLS, SEPARATING THE PHASES, EVAPORATING THE SOLVENTS FROM THE RAFFINATE PHASE, AND SELECTIVELY REMOVING FATTY ACIDS THEREFROM TO PROVIDE SAID CONCENTRATE.