Separation of sterols from lipids

Abstract From the Canadian patent

A process for separating sterols from lipids (eg cholesterol, from butter fat) using sub or supercritical fluids (such as CO2) 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 adsorbant material chosen from the group comprising calcium hydroxide, calcium oxide calcium, carbonate, magnesium carbonate magnesium hydroxide, or the like, to selectively adsorb sterols on the adsorbant material and, removing the substantially sterol free lipids from the high pressure fluid.