The task of an independent laboratory within the trade of edible oils and fats is to determine the quality of shipped goods. Samples of the cargo are taken upon loading and discharge of a vessel and tested for the contractual quality specifications. The testing is performed according to contractual agreed methods of analyses. The laboratory should be recognised by the trade organisations and be tested every year on its performance. Also there is an increasing demand for analyses on contaminants, e.g. pesticide residues. This is enforced by national and international legislation. Therefore the laboratory should be equipped with the newest analytical instruments in order to detect the requested low levels of contaminants and should keep up with the latest methods of analyses. A brief introduction of the independent laboratory in the Netherlands, the main analytical indexes agreed in the contract in the oil and fat trade, the important quality parameters, the key pollutants (including pesticide residues, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, mineral oil, phthalate, dioxin, monochloropropane, etc.) are summarized in this paper, in order to make readers understand the quality control and technical progress of the goods in the oil and fat trade by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the European Union (EU), provide some references for facilitating technology exchange.