Animal By-Products Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2003

Laboratories

21.—(1) The Department shall approve laboratories under this regulation to carry out one or more of the tests referred to in this regulation if it is satisfied that they have the necessary facilities, personnel and operating procedures to do so.

(2) In deciding whether to grant or continue an approval, the Department may require the laboratory to successfully undertake any quality control tests as it reasonably thinks fit.

(3) The operator of a laboratory approved under this regulation carrying out tests for the purposes of these Regulations or the Community Regulation shall do so in accordance with the following provisions, and if he fails to do so he shall be guilty of an offence.

(4) A test for Clostridium perfingens shall be carried out in accordance with the method in Schedule 2 or (if specified in the approval) with a method which conforms with ISO 7937/1997 (BS-EN 13401 1999) (Enumeration of Clostridium perfingens) or equivalent(1).

(5) A test for Salmonella shall be carried out in accordance with the method in Schedule 2 or (if specified in the approval) with a method which conforms with –

(a)ISO 6579/2002/BS EN-12824: 1998 (Detection of Salmonella) or equivalent; or

(b)NMKL 71: 1993 or equivalent(2).

(6) A test for Enterobacteriaceae shall be carried out in accordance with the method in Schedule 2 or (if specified in the approval) with a method which conforms with ISO 7402/1993 (BS 5763: Part 10: 1993) (Enumeration of Enterobacteriaceae) or equivalent(3).

(7) Where tests are carried out for the detection of any of the following, the operator of a laboratory approved under this regulation shall immediately notify the Department and the operator of the premises if –

(a)the tests fail to establish that the material is free from Clostridium perfringens;

(b)the tests fail to establish that the material is free from Salmonella; or

(c)the material successfully passes the test for Enterobacteriaceae in paragraph 39 of Part III of Schedule 2,

and if he fails to do so he shall be guilty of an offence.

(8) The operator of a laboratory approved under this regulation shall in relation to processed material notify the Department on the last day of each month of the number, type and results of tests carried out and if he fails to do so he shall be guilty of an offence.

(9) Reprocessing in accordance with Article 25(2)(c) and (d) of the Community Regulation shall be carried out under the supervision of the Department.

(10) If a sample has been sent to the approved laboratory from premises outside Northern Ireland for a test to which this regulation relates, the requirements in this regulation to notify the Department shall be construed as a requirement to notify the competent authority for the premises from which the sample was sent.