The Food Safety (Sampling and Qualifications) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2013

Made: 13th March 2013

Coming into operation: 6th April 2013

The Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety makes the following Regulations in exercise of the powers conferred by Articles 27(2), 30(9), 32(1),(2)(c),(d),(e),(g) and (h), 47(2) and 48(2) of the Food Safety (Northern Ireland) Order 1991 .

In so far as these Regulations cannot be made under powers contained in the 1991 Order, the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety makes the following Regulations in exercise of the powers conferred by section 2(2) of the European Communities Act 1972 .

The Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety has been designated for the purposes of section 2(2) of the European Communities Act 1972 in relation to measures in the veterinary and phytosanitary fields for the protection of public health .

In accordance with Article 47(3A) of that Order, it has had regard to relevant advice given by the Food Standards Agency.

As required by Article 9 of Regulation (EC) No. 178/2002 of the European Parliament and of the Council laying down the general principles and requirements of food law, establishing the European Food Safety Authority and laying down procedures in matters of food safety , there has been open and transparent public consultation during the preparation and evaluation of these Regulations.

Citation and commencement

1

These Regulations may be cited as the Food Safety (Sampling and Qualifications) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2013 and come into operation on 6th April 2013.

Interpretation

2

• (1) In these Regulations —

• “owner” means —in the case of goods in transit, the consignor (or, if the consignor does not have an address in Northern Ireland, the consignee);in the case of goods from a vending machine —if the machine is marked with the name and address of its owner, and the address is in Northern Ireland, that person; andin any other case, the occupier of the premises on which the machine stands or to which it is affixed;in any other case, the person appearing to the authorised officer to be the owner of the sample when the officer procured it;

• “qualified” means qualified for the purposes of the Order;

• “specified state” means one of the states listed in Schedule 1 to the Recognition of Professional Qualifications and Implementation of International Recognition Agreements (Amendment) Regulations 2023;

• “the Order” means the Food Safety (Northern Ireland) Order 1991.

• (2) The Interpretation Act (Northern Ireland) 1954 applies to these Regulations as it applies to an Act of the Assembly.

Sampling and analysis provisions to which these Regulations do not apply

3

The provisions of these Regulations specified in column 3 of Schedule 1 do not apply to any sample taken under the provisions of the Regulations listed in the corresponding entry in the first column of that Schedule.

Qualifications of analysts

4

A person is qualified to be a food analyst or a public analyst if that person possesses a Mastership in Chemical Analysis awarded by the Royal Society of Chemistry.

Qualifications of food examiners

5

• (1) A person is qualified to be a food examiner if that person —

• (a) before the coming into operation of these Regulations, was qualified to be a food examiner under regulation 4 of the Food Safety (Sampling and Qualifications) Regulations 1991 ; or

• (b) on or after that date,

• (i) possesses a qualification listed in Part 1 of Schedule 2; and

• (ii) has carried out examination of food over a period or periods amounting in aggregate to at least 3 years in one or more of the laboratories listed in Part 2 of that Schedule.

• (2) In calculating the qualification period in paragraph (1)(b)(ii), no account is to be taken of any period spent as an undergraduate in a laboratory specified in paragraphs 4 to 6 of Part 2 of Schedule 2.

Restrictions applying to analysts and examiners

6

• (1) A director, owner or employee of a food business or partner in a food business must not act as a public analyst or food examiner for the area in which such business is situated.

• (2) A person mentioned in paragraph (1) must not analyse or examine any sample which that person knows to have been taken from the business.

Procedure where a sample is to be analysed

7

• (1) An authorised officer who has procured a sample under Article 29 of the Order and who considers that it should be analysed must, subject to paragraph (4), cause the sample to be divided into three parts.

• (2) If the sample consists of sealed containers and opening them would, in the opinion of the authorised officer, impede a proper analysis, the authorised officer must divide the sample into parts by putting the containers into three lots, and each lot must be treated as being a part.

• (3) The authorised officer must —

• (a) if necessary place each part in a suitable container and seal each container;

• (b) mark or label each part or container;

• (c) as soon as reasonably practicable give one part to the owner and give the owner notice that the sample will be analysed;

• (d) submit one part for analysis; and

• (e) retain one part for future submission under regulation 8.

• (4) If the authorised officer is of the opinion that division of the parts is not reasonably practicable or is likely to impede a proper analysis the officer must, as soon as is reasonably practicable, give notice to the owner that the undivided sample will be analysed and must submit it for analysis.

Submission of the retained part of the sample

8

• (1) Where part of a sample has been retained under regulation 7(3)(e) and —

• (a) proceedings are intended to be or have been commenced against a person for an offence in connection with that sample; and

• (b) the prosecution intends to adduce as evidence the result of the analysis mentioned above,

Procedure where a sample is to be examined

9

An authorised officer who has procured a sample under Article 29 of the Order and who considers that it should be examined must —

• (a) if necessary place the sample in a suitable container and seal the container;

• (b) mark or label the sample or container; and

• (c) as soon as reasonably practicable,

• (i) submit the sample for examination; and

• (ii) give notice to the owner that it is to be examined.

Certificates

10

• (1) Where a sample procured under Article 29 of the Order has been analysed or examined, the owner is entitled on request to be supplied with a copy of the certificate of analysis or examination by the enforcement authority.

• (2) The certificate given by a food analyst or examiner under Article 30(6) of the Order must, subject to such adaptations as circumstances may reasonably require, be in the form of the example set out in Schedule 3.

Consequential amendments

11

In the following provisions, for “the Food Safety (Sampling and Qualifications) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1991” substitute “ the Food Safety (Sampling and Qualifications) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2013 ”

• (a) regulation 13(10) and (11) (analysis etc. of samples) of the Food Hygiene Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2006 ;

• (b) regulation 36(10) and (11) (analysis etc. of samples) of the Official Feed and Food Controls Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2009 .

Revocation

12

The Food Safety (Sampling and Qualifications) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1991 are revoked.

SCHEDULE 1 — Instruments to which specified provisions of these Regulations do not apply

Title	Reference	Specified provisions
The Animals and Animal Products (Examination for Residues and Maximum Residue Limits) Regulations (Northern Ireland)1998	S.R. 1998 No. 237	Regulations 7,8,9 and 10
. . .	. . .	. . .
The Materials and Articles in Contact with Food Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2012	S.R. 2012 No. 384	Regulations 7,8 and 9
The Contaminants in Food Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2013 (to the extent that a sample falls to be prepared and analysed in accordance with Commission Regulation (EC) No. 1881/2006 setting maximum levels for certain contaminants in foodstuffs)	S.R. 2013 No. 229	Regulations 7,8 and 9
The Poultrymeat Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2011	S.R. 2011 No. 315	Regulations 7,8 and 9

SCHEDULE 2 — Qualifications of Food Examiners

PART 1

1

A first degree (with honours) in microbiology (irrespective of the title of the degree).

2

A degree of Master of Science, provided that —

• (a) the degree was awarded following an examination rather than a thesis; and

• (b) at least one paper in the degree was in microbiology.

3

Fellowship of the Institute of Biomedical Sciences if that Fellowship has been gained after passing the higher specialist diploma examination in medical microbiology set by that Institute.

4

The degree in Mastership in Chemical Analysis awarded by the Royal Society of Chemistry.

5

Fellowship or Membership of the Institute of Food Science and Technology.

6

In paragraphs 1 and 2 of this Part, “degree” means a degree awarded by a body recognised for the purposes of Article 3 of the Education (Unrecognised Degrees) (Northern Ireland) Order 1988 (which relates to bodies empowered to award degrees in the United Kingdom) or by a university in a Member State of the European Union or in a specified state .

PART 2

1

The Laboratory of the Government Chemist.

2

A laboratory owned by a Government Department or a laboratory under the equivalent control of the government of a Member State of the European Union or of a specified state .

3

A laboratory appointed as an official laboratory under Regulation (EU) 2017/625 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 March 2017 on official controls and other official activities performed to ensure the application of food and feed law, rules on animal health and welfare, plant health and plant protection products. .

4

A laboratory of a university in the United Kingdom or of a Member State of the European Union or of a specified state .

5

A laboratory of a fundable body within the meaning of the Further and Higher Education (Scotland) Act 2005 .

6

A laboratory of the Scottish Agricultural College.

7

A laboratory specialising in food microbiology and accredited to ISO/IEC 17025.

SCHEDULE 3 — Certificate of Analysis or Examination

Signed

Sealed with the official seal of the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety on 13th March 2013.

Andrew McCormick — A senior officer of the — Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety

Explanatory note

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

Footnotes

[^f00001]: Formerly the Department of Health and Social Services; see S.I. 1999/283 (N.I.1) Article 3(6)

[^f00002]: S.I. 1991/762 (N.I.7) as amended by S.I. 1996/1663 (N.I.12), paragraphs 26 to 42 of Schedule 5 and Schedule 6 to the Food Standards Act 1999 c.28 and S.R. 2004 Nos. 482 and 505

[^f00003]: 1972 c.68

[^f00004]: S.I. 1999/2027

[^f00005]: OJ No.L31, 1.2.2002, p.1. That Regulation was last amended by Commission Regulation (EC) No. 596/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council adapting a number of instruments subject to the procedure referredto in Article 251 of the treaty to Council Decision 1999/468/EC with regard to the regulatory procedure with scrutiny: Adaptation to the regulatory procedure with scrutiny – Part Four (OJ No. L188, 18.7.2009, p14)

[^f00006]: 1954 c.33 (NI)

[^f00007]: S.R. 1991 No. 198

[^f00008]: S.R. 2006 No. 3 There are amendments to this rule but none is relevant

[^f00009]: S.R. 2009 No. 427

[^f00010]: OJ No. L364, 20.12.2006, p.5

[^f00011]: S.I. 1988/1989 (N.I. 22)

[^f00012]: 2005 asp 6

Editorial notes

[^c21705451]: Formerly the Department of Health and Social Services; see S.I. 1999/283 (N.I.1) Article 3(6)

[^c21705461]: S.I. 1991/762 (N.I.7) as amended by S.I. 1996/1663 (N.I.12), paragraphs 26 to 42 of Schedule 5 and Schedule 6 to the Food Standards Act 1999 c.28 and S.R. 2004 Nos. 482 and 505

[^c21705471]: 1972 c.68

[^c21705481]: S.I. 1999/2027

[^c21705491]: OJ No. L31, 1.2.2002, p.1. That Regulation was last amended by Commission Regulation (EC) No. 596/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council adapting a number of instruments subject to the procedure referred to in Article 251 of the treaty to Council Decision 1999/468/EC with regard to the regulatory procedure with scrutiny: Adaptation to the regulatory procedure with scrutiny – Part Four (OJ No. L188, 18.7.2009, p14)

[^c21705501]: 1954 c.33 (NI)

[^c21705511]: S.R. 1991 No. 198

[^c21705521]: S.R. 2006 No. 3 There are amendments to this rule but none is relevant

[^c21705531]: S.R. 2009 No. 427

[^c21705541]: OJ No. L364, 20.12.2006, p.5

[^c21705551]: S.I. 1988/1989 (N.I. 22)

[^c21705561]: 2005 asp 6

[^key-e2f308930cc5f0f7ffbdf1a17405ac2a]: Words in Sch. 1 substituted (31.10.2013) by The Contaminants in Food Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2013 (S.R. 2013/229), regs. 1, 9

[^key-760bbb1d78e491c0d2aef9f3c29f8709]: Words in Sch. 1 omitted (28.11.2015) by virtue of The Natural Mineral Water, Spring Water and Bottled Drinking Water Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2015 (S.R. 2015/365), reg. 1, Sch. 13 para. 2

[^key-5f771ca52051d0eb17d08c448d6fe5fe]: Words in Sch. 2 Pt. 2 para. 3 substituted (14.12.2019) by The Official Feed and Food Controls (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2019 (S.R. 2019/218), regs. 1, 39

[^key-27dc85a026169c31751f37891290e330]: Words in reg. 2 inserted (1.12.2023) by The Recognition of Professional Qualifications and Implementation of International Recognition Agreements (Amendment) Regulations 2023 (S.I. 2023/1286), reg. 1, Sch. 3 para. 9(2)

[^key-fe7c1a3960186896d0bd9c5bebee1ae9]: Words in Sch. 2 Pt. 1 para. 6 substituted (1.12.2023) by The Recognition of Professional Qualifications and Implementation of International Recognition Agreements (Amendment) Regulations 2023 (S.I. 2023/1286), reg. 1, Sch. 3 para. 9(3)(a)