Chen earned top scores for two consecutive years at the renowned competition, showcasing the purity of Catania Oils’ products

Catania Oils today announced that its Quality Control Chemist, Vera Chen, has been named the winner of the 2019/2020 Olive Oils AOCS Laboratory Proficiency Program (LPP) Competition in not one, but two categories.

The AOCS LPP is the world’s most extensive and respected collaborative proficiency testing program for oil and fat-related commodities. It includes over 40 different testing series and hosts an annual competition to recognize the most outstanding analysts in the LPP. All participants in the competition must have previously gained the status of Approved Chemist by AOCS. The Approved Chemist Program honors the most accomplished participants in the LPP. Approval is earned by superior performance during the previous LPP year.

Vera’s scores place her among the top in the country in AOCS testing for Olive Oils. Competing against more than 500 chemists, Vera earned first place in both the Olive Oil Part A and Olive Oil Part C categories, a title which she has now earned for two years running. Olive Oil Part A measures the Delta K (UV extinction), free fatty acids, peroxide value, and fatty acid composition in the olive oil sample, while Part C determines the levels of biophenols, contents of 2-Glycerol, monopalmitate, sterenes, sterols, stigmastadiene, and waxes. Vera also scored an honorable mention in Olive Oil Part B.

Vera has repeatedly impressed LPP with her chemistry abilities. In the 2018/2019 competition, Vera ranked number one in Olive Oil Part C and scored an Honorable Mention in Olive Oil Part B, proving her excellence time and time again in ensuring the purity of the oils produced at Catania Oils’ facility.

Vera’s fellow Quality Control Chemist at Catania Oils, Zhennian Huang, also placed highly at this year's competition, scoring Honorable Mentions in Olive Oil Parts B and C. In 2018/2019, Huang earned an Honorable Mention in Olive Oil Part C.

“We are very proud to have both Vera and Zhennian on our team,” noted Joseph Basile, President of Catania Oils. “They consistently demonstrate excellence in analyzing the purity of the oils that come into our facility to ensure that we deliver on our brand promise, Authenticity in Every Drop.”

ABOUT CATANIA OILS

Catania Oils is a privately-held fourth generation family business that expanded from its modest roots in the early 1900’s to a multi-million-dollar supplier of quality oils for retail, food service, and bulk customers. The company provides both branded and private label oils. The 250,000 square-foot operation located in Ayer, Massachusetts is one of the largest indoor bulk oil processing facilities in the country and combines the latest automation technology with efficient processes and warehouse space to ensure a good price for the high-quality oils it produces. The company’s tagline, Authenticity in Every Drop, is supported by an in-house laboratory that tests the purity of each shipment. For more information visit www.cataniaoils.com