15.—(1) An authorised officer of an enforcement authority who has procured a sample under regulation 14 shall —
(a)if the officer considers that the sample should be analysed, submit it to be analysed—
(i)by the public analyst for the area in which the sample was procured, or
(ii)by the public analyst for the area which consists of or includes the area of the authority; and
(b)if the officer considers that the sample should be examined, submit it to be examined by a food examiner.
(2) A person, other than such an officer, who has purchased any food, or any substance capable of being used in the preparation of food, may submit a sample of it —
(a)to be analysed by the public analyst for the area in which the purchase was made; or
(b)to be examined by a food examiner.
(3) If, in any case where a sample is proposed to be submitted for analysis under this regulation, the office of public analyst for the area in question is vacant, the sample shall be submitted to the public analyst for some other area.
(4) If, in any case where a sample is proposed to be or is submitted for analysis under this regulation, the food analyst determines that they are for any reason unable to perform the analysis or examination, the sample shall be submitted or, as the case may be, sent by them to such other food analyst as they may determine.
(5) If, in any case where a sample is proposed to be or is submitted for examination under this regulation, the food examiner determines that they are for any reason unable to perform the examination, the sample shall be submitted or, as the case may be, sent by them to such other food examiner as they may determine.
(6) A food analyst or examiner must analyse or examine as soon as practicable any sample submitted or sent to them under this regulation, but may, except where —
(a)the person to whom the sample was submitted or sent is the public analyst for the area in question; and
(b)the sample is submitted for analysis by an authorised officer of an enforcement authority,
demand in advance the payment of such reasonable fee as the food analyst or examiner may require.
(7) Any food analyst or examiner who has analysed or examined a sample must give to the person by whom it was submitted a certificate specifying the result of the analysis or examination.
(8) Any certificate given by a food analyst or examiner under paragraph (7) must be signed by the food analyst or examiner, but the analysis or examination may be made by any person acting under their direction.
(9) In any proceedings under these Regulations, the production by one of the parties —
(a)of a document purporting to be a certificate given by a food analyst or examiner under paragraph (7); or
(b)of a document supplied to him by the other party as being a copy of such a certificate,
shall be sufficient evidence of the facts stated in it unless, in a case falling within sub-paragraph (a), the other party requires that the food analyst or examiner shall be called as a witness.
(10) Where two or more public analysts are appointed for any area, any reference in this regulation to the public analyst for that area is to be construed as a reference to either or any of them.
(11) The Food Safety (Sampling and Qualifications) (England) Regulations 2013(1) apply in relation to a sample procured by an authorised officer of an enforcement authority under regulation 14 as if it were a sample procured by an authorised officer under section 29 of the Act.
(12) The certificate given by a food analyst or examiner under paragraph (7) must be in the form set out in Schedule 3 to the Food Safety (Sampling and Qualifications) (England) Regulations 2013.