AbstractFinished margarine quality is presented in terms of the margarine manufacturer’s needs as expressed by in‐house quality control and oil blend specifications. The philosophy of adequate performance testing is discussed as are the needs for in‐process controls. Without adequate and effective in‐process controls, specification testing practices result in only after‐the‐fact information and defeat the real purpose of specifications, which is to insure quality production and not merely to assess whether or not it has been attained. Although margarine manufacturers have found effective means of applying these controls to their own production, they have been lax in applying them to their raw material receipts, an emphasis that is at least of equal importance to finished product quality.