The Food (Northern Ireland) Order 1989

Right to have samples analysed

39.—(1) If a sampling officer who has procured a sample of any food or substance considers that it should be analysed, he shall submit it to be analysed by the public analyst for the district in which the sample was, or is deemed to have been, procured.

(2) A person, other than a sampling officer, who has purchased any food, or any substance capable of being used in the preparation of food, may submit a sample of it to be analysed by the public analyst for the district in which the purchase was made.

(3) The public analyst shall analyse as soon as practicable any sample submitted to him in pursuance of this Article but may, where the sample is submitted by a person other than an officer of the district council, demand in advance the payment of such fee as may be fixed by the council.

(4) If—

(a) the office of public analyst for a district is vacant; or

(b) the public analyst determines that he is for any reason unable to perform an effective analysis;

the sample shall be submitted or, as the case may be, sent by the public analyst, to such person as the Department may approve, and that person, if he consents to analyse the sample, shall do so upon payment to him of such sum as may be agreed upon.

(5) A public analyst, or a person approved by the Department for the purposes of paragraph (4), who has analysed a sample shall give to the person who submitted the sample a certificate, in such form as may be prescribed, specifying the result of the analysis.

(6) A certificate given under paragraph (5) shall be signed by the public analyst or person approved by the Department for the purposes of paragraph (4), but the analysis may be made by any person acting under the direction of that analyst or approved person.

(7) Where a sample procured by a sampling officer has been analysed by a public analyst or a person approved by the Department for the purposes of paragraph (4), any person to whom a part of the sample was given in accordance with provisions of this Order shall be entitled, on payment of a fee of 5p to the district council by whose officer the sample was procured, to be supplied with a copy of the certificate given under paragraph (5).