Referee chemists and official methods

AbstractThe need for Referee Chemists was recognized more than 50 years ago. Currently the Examination Board of the American Oil Chemists’ Society issues certificates to commercial laboratories in the name of qualified representatives who are members of the AOCS. A total of 79 chemists presently hold Referee Certificates in categories of cottonseed, soybeans, peanuts, cottonseed oil and other cup refined oils, soybean oil and other neutral oil loss oils, tallow and grease, protein concentrates, and cellulose yields. Referee Certificates have also been issued to a few chemists in Japan and Canada. The National Cottonseed Products Association, National Soybean Processors Association, etc., publish listings of their Official Chemists, who must first obtain AOCS referee certificates.Laboratories holding certificates must use Official Methods of the AOCS wherever applicable. The AOCSOfficial and Tentative Methods is one of the leading sources of standard methods for the fat and oil industries in the world. The origin of the present edition of AOCSMethods is described, and the roles of the Uniform Methods Committee, various technical committees, and the editor in the development, publication, and distribution of the methods are discussed.