METHOD FOR PRODUCING FATTY ACID COMPOSITION

Provided is a method for producing a fatty acid composition having a low content of saturated fatty acid easily and with a high yield from a decomposed fatty acid composition containing monoacylglycerol. The method for producing a fatty acid composition having the content of saturated fatty acid of 8% by mass or less, comprising the following steps (1) to (3): (1) obtaining a fatty acid mixture by adjusting the component ratio of a decomposed fatty acid composition obtained by hydrolyzing a fat or oil so that the content of fatty acid is from 80 to 96% by mass, the content of monoacylglycerol is from 0.3 to 8% by mass, the content of diacylglycerol is from 1 to 12% by mass, and the mass ratio of diacylglycerol to monoacylglycerol [(DAG)/(MAG)] is from 0.5 to 40; (2) cooling the fatty acid mixture obtained in step (1) to a temperature within the range from the temperature 2°C lower than the cloud point of the fatty acid mixture to the temperature 13°C lower than the cloud point, then mixing an aqueous wetting agent solution therewith, and maintaining the temperature of the mixture within the above-mentioned range; and (3) separating the solid phase precipitated in step (2) and the aqueous phase from the liquid oil phase, thereby obtaining the fatty acid composition in the form of a liquid oil phase.