The Poultry Breeding Flocks and Hatcheries Order 1993

Taking of samples from hatcheries for bacteriological testing for salmonella

6.  It shall be the duty of a person in respect of any hatchery of his where eggs of domestic fowl are incubated or the person in charge of any such hatchery to ensure that—

(a) samples are taken from the hatchery in such manner as is specified in Part II of Schedule 2 and at such times as are so specified;

(b) such samples are identified in such a manner as to enable the laboratory to which they are submitted to know what type of samples they are, the date on which they were taken, the name of the person owning or in charge of the hatchery from which they were taken, the address of that hatchery and the address of the holding from which the hatching eggs from which the samples were obtained were supplied to the hatchery;

(c) such samples (other than those required to be taken under the supervision of an officer of the Minister) are dispatched, within 48 hours of being taken, to a laboratory for testing (at his expense) for the presence of salmonella in accordance with an appropriate bacteriological method set out in Part III of Schedule 2; samples shall be kept in a refrigerator at between 1 degree C and 4 degrees C if they are not so dispatched within 24 hours of being taken; and

(d) in the case of samples required to be taken under the supervision of an officer of the Minister, they are given to him after being so taken for testing by the Minister for salmonella in accordance with such a bacteriological method.