Food Act 1984

79 Right to have samples analysed

(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 area 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 area 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 section, but may, in the case of a sample submitted by a person not being an officer of the food and drugs authority, demand in advance the payment of such fee as may be fixed by the authority.

(4) If—

(a) the office of public analyst for the area in question 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 whom it was originally submitted, to the public analyst for some other area, and he shall, upon payment to him of such sum as may be agreed, analyse the sample.

(5) A public analyst who has analysed a sample shall give to the person by whom it was originally submitted a certificate specifying the result of the analysis ; and any such certificate shall be in a form prescribed by regulations made by the Ministers.

(6) Any certificate of the results of an analysis given by a public analyst in pursuance of this section shall be signed by the public analyst, but the analysis may be made by any person acting under the direction of the analyst.