A process for the manufacture of substantially pure monochloroacetic acid from a liquid chloroacetic acid mixture comprising monochloroacetic acid and dichloroacetic acid, in particular in an amount of 2 to 40 percent by weight, wherein said mixture, further mixed with a suspended hydrogenation catalyst, is mixed with hydrogen gas and the resulting mixture is brought to reaction in a reactor, which is characterized in that the reactor is a loop reactor comprising a gas and liquid recirculation system coupled via an ejector mixing nozzle, in which reactor the gas and liquid are circulated in co-current flow, and the mixing intensity introduced to the liquid phase is at least 50 W/l of liquid phase.