. The industrial chemistry of oils and fats is a mature technology, with decades of experience and refinement behind current practices. It is not, however, static. Envir- onmental pressures demand cleaner processes, and there is a market for new pro- ducts. Current developments are in three areas: ‘‘green’’ chemistry, using cleaner processes, less energy, and renewable resources; enzyme catalyzed reactions, used both as environmentally friendly processes and to produce tailor-made products; and novel chemistry to functionalize the carbon chain, leading to new