TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Process: The process of producing the fatty acid alkyl esters is a continuous process. The method further involves adding alkanol and basic transesterification catalyst to the primary fatty acid alkyl ester enriched stream to provide a secondary reactant stream, and mixing the secondary reactant stream under high shear mixing conditions to provide a secondary mixed stream. The secondary mixed stream is separated to provide a secondary fatty acid alkyl ester-enriched stream and a secondary glycerol-enriched stream containing basic transesterification catalyst. The primary reactant stream is formed by combining the triacylglyceride and alkanol with the secondary glycerol enriched stream. The primary mixed stream is allowed to react by passing the primary mixed stream through a vessel under low shear conditions, and subjected to separation operation for a sufficient time of the triacylglyceride (70 wt.% or more) to be converted into fatty acid alkyl ester. Alternately, the fatty acid alkyl ester is obtained by mixing a primary reactant stream under high shear conditions to provide a primary mixed stream comprising triacyl glyceride, alkanol and a basic transesterification catalyst, and fatty acid alkyl ester, separating the primary mixed stream to provide a primary glycerol-enriched stream (4) and a primary fatty acid alkyl ester-enriched stream (5), adding alkanol and basic transesterification catalyst to the primary fatty acid alkyl ester-enriched stream to provide a secondary reactant stream, mixing the secondary reactant stream under high shear mixing conditions to provide a secondary mixed stream, adding glycerol to the secondary mixed stream to provide an extraction mixture, and separating the extraction mixture into a secondary glycerol-enriched stream and a secondary fatty acid alkyl ester-enriched stream. The secondary mixed stream is allowed to react by passing the secondary mixed stream through a vessel under low shear conditions for a sufficient time to form a product stream (3) containing glycerol fatty acid ester (0.5 wt.% or more). The portion of the primary glycerol-enriched stream is added to the secondary mixed stream. The glycerol is added to the product stream, and at least a portion of the primary glycerol-enriched stream is added to the product stream. The alkanol is removed through vacuum stripping from the primary glycerol-enriched stream to form a stripped glycerol stream. The triacylglyceride and alkanol are combined with a glycerol stream comprising basic transesterification catalyst to form reactant stream. The primary mixed stream is separated into a primary glycerol-enriched stream and a primary fatty acid alkyl ester-enriched stream. The primary glycerol-enriched stream comprises a portion of the basic transesterification catalyst. Preferred Components: The product stream has a fatty acid ester component containing fatty acid alkyl ester (99.5 wt.% or more). The basic transesterification catalyst comprises alkali metal alkoxide. The alkanol is methanol. Preferred Composition: The secondary reactant stream comprises transesterification catalyst (0.1 or more) and alkanol (2-5). The weight ratio of fatty acid alkyl ester to glyceride fatty acid ester is 10:1, preferably 99.5:1. The primary reactant stream comprises (in wt.%) glycerol (less than 10, preferably 1-6), sodium methoxide (0.05-0.25, alternately 0.05-0.3), triacylglyceride (75 or more) and methanol (10 or more).