How does winterizing remove waxes from oils?

Winterizing, also known as destearinating, is a process used in fat and oil processing to remove impurities that could otherwise cause the oil to become cloudy or solidify at low temperatures.

To remove waxes specifically, the oil undergoes a process of rapid chilling. This cooling causes the waxes to precipitate out of the liquid oil. Once these waxes have formed solid particles, they are removed from the oil through filtration.1

While the removal of waxes relies on rapid chilling, the separation of high-melting glycerides—often referred to as stearine—requires a different approach. This process involves very slow cooling to encourage the formation of crystals large enough to be effectively separated from the liquid oil using filtration or centrifuging. By removing these components, manufacturers can produce oils, such as salad oils, that remain clear and liquid even when stored in cold conditions.1