Statutory Food Control

The statutory role of the Public Analyst’s Laboratory is to test food for compliance with the relevant legislation and guidelines. The laboratory has a vital role in food safety by providing objective scientific evidence for the safety and quality of the food that we eat. It provides data for the proper risk assessment and risk analysis of food.

The Dublin Public Analyst’s Laboratory (PALD) is administered by the HSE Dublin Mid-Leinster. It is one of the laboratories of the Health Service Executive (HSE) Food Safety Laboratory Service (FSLS) which comprises three Public Analyst Laboratories and seven Official Food Microbiology Laboratories, one of which is located at and is an integral part of PALD.   HSE Food Safety Laboratories

The beginning of 2006 marked a significant milestone for food safety in the EU with the entry of a large updated body of food and feed legislation. Primary amongst these is the food hygiene package. Regulation 2073/2005 on microbiological criteria for foodstuffs also came into force at the beginning of 2006.

EU Regulation 178/2002 lays down the general principles and requirements of food law and procedures in matters of food safety. It also established the European Food Safety Authority.

The European Commission package of food hygiene law harmonises and simplifies previously overly complex hygiene requirements. The package consists of five major pieces of legislation covering areas including the hygiene of foodstuffs and specific hygiene rules for food of animal origin. "EU Regulation 882/2004 on official controls performed to ensure the verification of compliance with feed and food law, animal health and animal welfare rules" describes in detail how the principles in Regulation 178/2002 must be interpreted and implemented. From the 1st January 2006 Regulation 882/2004 repealed a number of previous Food Control Acts.

Regulation 882/2004 is currently under revision by the European Commission.

Sampling & Analysis Programmes

This laboratory performs a wide range of testing:

• Chemical Testing
  • List of chemical tests in foodstuff

  • 2016 National Chemical Food Sampling Programme

Microbiological Testing

• Storage of Samples for Microbiological Analysis
• List of Microbiological Tests

Chemical Testing

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The discovery of new contaminants in food, together with new regulations or lower regulatory limits for existing food additives and contaminants, means that there is a need to research and develop reliable and robust analytical methods required for survey and enforcement purposes. The chemistry Method Research and Development (MR&D) Section implements new methods of analysis, extends existing methods to new matrices and examines new analytical techniques. The MR&D Section regularly uses the expertise and personnel from other laboratory Sections to achieve these aims.    

Laboratory Contact for Chemical MR&D:    Mr. Chris Griffin.   

The laboratory is currently developing methods of analysis for the speciation of Arsenic, Mercury, Selenium and Tin. The bioavailability and/or toxicity of these, and other, metals are dependent on the form or species in which they exist. The quantification of the individual metal species in foods is vital in risk assessment. In 2006 a PerkinElmer Elan DRC II ICP-MS, a PerkinElmer Series 200 HPLC and a Perkin Elmer Clarus 500 GC were installed as part of the development programme.

Please note that tests are developed / validated in specific food types which predominantly reflect the statutory requirements.    Individual tests are not available in all foodstuffs.

Food Samples for Microbiological Testing

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1. Food samples which would normally be refrigerated should be stored in a refrigerator immediately and submitted to the Laboratory within 24h.
2. Samples which would normally be refrigerated and which cannot be submitted to the Laboratory within 24h should be frozen and submitted as soon as possible thereafter.
3. All samples must be accompanied by a fully completed Laboratory Analysis Request Form.
4. All samples should be minimally handled prior to receipt at the Laboratory. The history of sample handling and storage may affect the microbiological results.
5. A minimum of 150g of food sample is required for microbiological analysis.

Storage of samples for microbiological analysis

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1. Frozen foods should be frozen.
2. Chilled/refrigerated foods should be stored between 0 and 5^oC and not frozen.
3. Dried foods, un-blown cans and foods not generally refrigerated need not be chilled but should be stored and transported at a temperature of less than 20^oC

List of microbiological tests

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Following a review of pricing the following charges will now apply for Microbiological Testing from 02/01/1

Food Testing:

Swab Testing:

The prices indicated are guideline prices.

Where specific parameters are requested for particular matrices (food samples) which may require extra work, the charges may be higher.

Additional charges will be applied where chemical testing is also being carried out.

Directions on taking food samples

• Chemical Analysis
• Microbiological Testing
• Storage of samples for microbiological analysis

Chemical Analysis

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Please note the following requirements for sampling of foods for chemical analysis:

1. Please refer to the notes section of the current Chemical Food Sampling Programme for information on the types of samples and minimum sample quantities required for each parameter.
2. Food samples submitted for monitoring to ensure compliance with EU food laws should be sampled in compliance with the various EU Sampling Regulations. For example, for heavy metals the regulations recommend that, where possible, a sample size of at least 1 kg is taken.
3. If a number of retail units of a product are required to make up a sample, please ensure that all units are of one batch number. Prior to analysis, all units of the sample are combined and sub-samples are tested. In the event of an unsatisfactory result being obtained, it is not possible to identify the problematic batch where a composite sample of units from different batches has been tested.
4. When attaching adhesive labels to samples ensure that information such as ingredient lists, nutrition labelling, claims etc. is not obscured. If the sample is small in size and this is not practical, the sample may be placed in a clear plastic bag to which the label can be attached.
5. It is a requirement of the laboratory accreditation to "ISO 17025:2005 – General Requirements for the Competence of Testing and Calibration Laboratories", that there is a contract between a customer and the laboratory. The Analysis Request Form is such a contract. For this reason, it is vital that the field "Analysis Required" is completed on the Analysis Request Form and that the required parameter(s) are specified as indicated in the programme. Entries such as "chemical" or "compositional" analysis are not sufficient.
6. In the event that scheduled samples cannot be submitted for testing, please let the specified laboratory contact know as soon as possible so that the laboratory resources can be reallocated to other work.
7. Laboratory contact details are provided in the Programme and also in the ‘Contact Us’ section of this website. Please phone the appropriate named contact with queries regarding test parameters or sampling. When querying a test result, the Executive Analytical Chemist who is named on the test report should be contacted.
8. Delivery of samples to the Laboratory is required within the specified sampling periods. Please ensure that all samples for chemical testing reach the Laboratory before 3p.m. on the day of delivery.

Microbiological testing

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Food Samples for microbiological testing

1. Food samples which would normally be refrigerated should be stored in a refrigerator immediately and submitted to the Laboratory within 24h.
2. Samples which would normally be refrigerated and which cannot be submitted to the Laboratory within 24h should be frozen and submitted as soon as possible thereafter.
3. All samples must be accompanied by a fully completed Laboratory Analysis Request Form.
4. All samples should be minimally handled prior to receipt at the Laboratory. The history of sample handling and storage may affect the microbiological results.
5. A minimum of 150g of food sample is required for microbiological analysis.

Storage of samples for microbiological analysis

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1. Frozen foods should be frozen.
2. Chilled/refrigerated foods should be stored between 0 and 5^oC and not frozen.
3. Dried foods, un-blown cans and foods not generally refrigerated need not be chilled but should be stored and transported at a temperature of less than 20^oC