Neutralizing and decolorizing lard interesterification reaction mixture

Claim 1

IN A PROCESS FOR MODIFYING LARD WHEREIN LARD CONTAINING MINOR AMOUNTS OF FREE FATTY ACIDS AND COLOR BODIES IS TREATED WITH AN ALKALI METAL ALCOHOLATE CATALYST TO MODIFY THE LARD, AND THE CASTALYST IS DESTROYED AND A DECOLORLIZED MODIFIED LARD IS RECOVERED FROM THE REACTION PRODUCT, THE METHOD OF IMPROVING THE YIELD OF THE MODIFIED LARD WHICH COMPRISES PREDETERMINING THE FREE FATTY ACID CONTENT OF THE LARD TO BE MODIFIED, ADDING SUFFICIENT CASTALYST TO REACT WITH THE FREE FATTY ACIDS TO FORM SOAPS AND TO FURNISH IN ADDITION AN AMOUNT OF CATALYST NECESSARY TO MODIFY THE LARD, SUBJECTING THE MIXTURE TO MODIFYING CONDITIONS OF TEMPERTURE AND TIME, AND THEN DESTROYING THE CATALYST WITH AN AMOUNT OF ACID NECESSARY TO SUBSTANTIALLY NEUTRALIZE THE ALKALI METAL WHICH IS PRESENT IN THE CATALYST PORTION WITHOUT ANY EXCESS OF SAID ACID BEING AVAILABLE TO DECOMPOSE THE SOAPS, SAID SOAPS HAVING SAID COLOR BODIES OCCLUDED THERETO.