Laboratory Proficiency Program Series

AOCS offers more than 40 different series covering a wide array of testing skills and instrumentation. Participation counts towards ISO 17025 requirements. Successful completion of yearly series makes you eligible to apply for Approved Chemist status.

The AOCS Laboratory Proficiency Program (LPP) is the world's most extensive and respected collaborative proficiency testing program for oil- and fat-related commodities, oilseeds, oilseed meals, edible fats and plant proteins. More than 500 chemists participate to verify and demonstrate their lab's quality control.

Participants use AOCS or similar methods for sample analysis and then compare their results with a large cross-section of other laboratories using the same methods and samples.

View the program's A2LA Scope of Accreditation (.pdf).

LPP Award Winners:
Each year, AOCS publishes a list of LPP Award Winners to recognize the expertise of chemists in the program. The list consists of analysts who have scored in the top 10% of each series.

View 2022-2023 LPP Award Winners (.pdf)

Program Details

Data submission and storage:
Participants log in and submit results on their personal dashboard, where they can also access their reports from the past five years.

Expert assistance available:
Each LPP series is supported by a committee of experts in the field who can answer questions related to testing method, results or both.

Comprehensive reports:
Participants receive quarterly reports that contain results of all participating labs (participant information is kept confidential) as well as a summary statistical analysis of their results including consensus mean and standard deviation, z-score (with chart) and a Kernel density plot. The AOCS Laboratory Proficiency program uses Robust Consensus Algorithm A from ISO 13528 and ISO 5725 Part 5 for the statistical analysis. After the 4th quarter, participants receive a proficiency report containing a performance evaluation for all participants for the entire LPP year.

To help participants understand the contents of their reports, Xin Wu, Technical Services Manager for AOCS, presented a walkthrough on how to interpret laboratory proficiency reports.

Enrollment:
There are four quarters in an AOCS LPP year, with the first quarter starting on July 1. Participants are free to enroll in any quarter. However, to be eligible for the AOCS Laboratory Proficiency Program Award, participants have to be enrolled for all four quarters in the same LPP year.

View the AOCS LPP Timeline (.pdf).

Sample preparation:
Some activities may be subcontracted.

To get started: Choose the series you need below and click on “Enroll Now.” Payment in full must be received prior to the payment deadline noted on the AOCS LPP Timeline (.pdf) to complete your enrollment.

Available Series

In This Section

LPP
Analyst
log in

To renew: Log into your AOCS account to pay your proforma invoice in the “My Account” page.

Contact: If you need to make any changes to your proforma, or have any questions, please contact Reed Mingione by email at reed.mingione@aocs.org.

Aflatoxin - Corn Meal Aflatoxin - Cottonseed Meal Aflatoxin - Peanut Paste Aflatoxin - Pistachio and Almond Aflatoxin in Corn Meal Test Kit Aflatoxin in Peanut Paste Test Kit Cholesterol Cottonseed Oil DDGS from Corn Meal Edible Fat Fish Meal Fumonisin Gas Chromatography GOED Nutraceutical Oils Marine Oil Marine Oil Fatty Acid Profile MCT Oil Moisture in Almonds NIOP Fats and Oils Nutritional Labeling Oilseed Meal Olive Oil Chemistry Olive Oil Sensory Panel Palm Oil Peanut Phosphorus in Oil Plant Protein Meals Solid Fat Content by NMR Soybean Soybean Oil Specialty Oils Tallow and Grease Trace Metals in Oil trans Fatty Acid Content Trypsin Inhibitor Activity in Soybeans and Pulses Unground Soybean Meal Vegetable Oil for Color Only

Sample(s) in this series
Corn Meal

Determination
Aflatoxins B₁, B₂, G₁, and G₂

Test Method
User-Specified Method