Process for continuous fluidization of shortening

A process for the continuous fluidization of a feed mixture comprising a major amount of a normally liquid base oil and a minor amount less than about 20% by weight of a normally solid lipid, said normally solid lipid exhibiting polymorphic crystalline behavior and having a beta crystal-forming tendency in said base oil, which process comprises:

• passing a flow of said feed mixture through a heat exchange zone that is maintained under substantially anaerobic conditions while submitting it to a sequence of at least two temperature oscillations that alternate between (a) a higher temperature which is above the melting temperature of alpha crystals in the solidifying lipid present but below the melting temperature of beta crystals in the solidifying lipid present and (b) a lower temperature which is below the melting temperature of alpha crystals in the solidifying lipid present but sufficiently high to maintain the fluency of the materials in process, continuing said temperature oscillations in said zone until a substantial proportion of said normally solid lipid is transformed into beta crystal form, and withdrawing the resulting composition from said heat exchange zone.