product obtained is preferably packaged carefully protected from aerial oxygen in a container known for its chemical compatibility with the mercapto acid without removing the residual carbon dioxide under these conditions it can be stored for several months without the unpleasant odor due to hydrogen sulphide or to decomposition thiols reappearing at a level that can be detected by one 39 s sense of smell the solvent especially the alcoholic solvent can where appropriate be removed at least partially from the deodorized product by any known process before storage irrespective of the extraction process used the carbon dioxide may be recycled after being relieved of the extracted malodorous compounds according to known methods such as passage through active charcoal the subject of the present invention is also the deodorized product obtained by the process defined above the deodorized mercapto acids of formula i or solutions of deodorized mercapto acid of formula i obtained may be used in all industrial applications known for these products the mercapto acid is generally combined with other ingredients in a composition whose formulation varies according to the application the efficiency of the deodorization enables them to be used without imparting an unpleasant odor in any composition which must not have an unpleasant odor and whose other ingredients do not possess an unpleasant odor there may.