A process of enzymatic degumming edible oils, comprising treating the edible oil with a lipid acyltransferase so as to transfer an acyl group from a major part of the phospholipid to one or more acyl acceptors, wherein the acyl acceptor may be any compound comprising a hydroxy group. In one embodiment preferably the acyl acceptor is water and in another embodiment preferably the acyl acceptor is one or more sterols and/or stanols. When the acyl acceptor is a stanol and/or sterol, one or more sterol esters and/or stanol esters are produced. The lipid acyltransferase for use in the process of the present invention may comprises one or more of the following amino acid sequences: SEQ ID No. 1, SEQ ID No. 3, SEQ ID No. 4, SEQ ID No. 5, SEQ ID No. 6, SEQ ID No. 7, SEQ ID No. 8, SEQ ID No. 9, SEQ ID No. 10, SEQ ID No. 11, SEQ ID No. 12, SEQ ID No. 13, SEQ ID No. 14, or SEQ ID No. 15, SEQ ID No. 16, SEQ ID No. 17, SEQ ID No. 18, SEQ ID No. 36, SEQ ID No. 38, SEQ ID No. 40, SEQ ID No. 41, SEQ ID No 45, SEQ ID No. 47, SEQ ID No. 50 or an amino acid sequence which has 75% or more identity thereto. A novel lipid acyltransferase comprising the amino acid sequence shown as SEQ ID No. 16 is also taught.
