Refining of crude vegetable oils involving degumming, bleaching and deodorization has a high influence on the content of functional minor components. In this study, the difference of chemical versus physical refining will be studied. Especially the reduction of the tocopherol content in refined oil is mainly due to oxidation of the tocopherol. Also the content of sterols in free and esterified form is changing during the various refining procedures. An alternative two-step deodorization is described.

Keywords: deodorization, phytosterols, refining, tocopherols, vegetable oil