Fatty acid recovery from soapstock

A process for recovering free fatty acid from aqueous crude soapstock containing saponifiable fatty material comprising a glyceride oil;

• which comprises:
• (a) admitting said soapstock, a first inorganic base, and a recycle of inorganic salt-containing neutralized acid water from a later step of the process into a saponification zone held at a temperature of between about 80.degree. and about 95.degree. C.;
• (b) passing the resulting saponified soapstock into an acidulation zone along with inorganic acid and therein springing free fatty acid from said soapstock;
• (c) passing the resulting acidulated soapstock into a separation zone and withdrawing therefrom product free fatty acid stream and byproduct acid water;
• (d) passing at least a portion of said acid water into a neutralizing zone along with a flow of a second inorganic base sufficient to at least neutralize said acid water with inorganic salt being formed thereby;
• and
• (e) recycling at least a portion of said inorganic salt-containing neutralized acid water to said saponification step of the process, the proportion of inorganic base fed to the saponification zone being sufficient to virtually completely saponify said saponifiable fatty material in said soapstock admitted to the process.