A process for the preparation of a color stable C6-12 saturated aliphatic carboxylic acid in which (1) the corresponding aldehyde is oxidized with molecular oxygen to obtain the crude saturated aliphatic carboxylic acid in a liquid mixture, (2) molecular oxygen removed from the crude saturated aliphatic carboxylic acid mixture, and (3) the saturated aliphatic carboxylic acid separated from the molecular oxygen depleted mixture by distillation as a color stable product.