National Reference Laboratories (NRLs)
The role of National Reference Laboratories (NRLs) and details of the UK and Northern Ireland (NI) NRLs for food and feed testing
NRLs are specialist laboratories responsible for maintaining standards for the routine testing of feed, food and animal health. They provide advice and support on methods for official control testing, ensuring the delivery of risk-based and proportionate food enforcement to protect consumers.
Food Standards Agency (FSA) has a legal obligation to designate NRLs for food and feed. FSA and Food Standards Scotland (FSS) designated food and feed NRLs for UK. FSA designated food and feed NRLs providing specific EU requirements for Northern Ireland.
Defra has a legal obligation to designate NRLs for animal health and live animals in Great Britain (GB). This role is undertaken by DAERA for Northern Ireland (NI).
In GB, NRLs are designated under the Official Control Regulation (EU) 2017/625 for Official Feed and Food Controls, as amended and retained in UK legislation under Statutory Instrument 2020/1481.
Northern Ireland
FSA and FSS designated food and feed NRLs for UK
National Reference Laboratory for Feed and Food Additives
Food and Environment Research Agency (FERA)
Sand Hutton
York
YO41 1LZ
Tel: 01904 462000
National Reference Laboratory for Foodborne Viruses
Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS)
Barrack Road
Weymouth
DT4 8UB
Tel: 01305 206600
National Reference Laboratory for Parasites (Echinococcus/ Trichinella/ Anisakis)
Animal & Plant Health Agency (APHA)
National Agri-Food Innovation Campus
Sand Hutton
York
YO41 1LZ
Tel: 01904 462000
National Reference Laboratory for Marine Biotoxins and Phytoplankton
Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI)
Shellfish Toxin Unit - VSD Stormont
Stoney Road
Belfast
BT4 3SD
Tel: 028 9052 5636
National Reference Laboratory for Bacterial Contamination of Bivalve Molluscs
Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS)
Barrack Road
Weymouth
DT4 8UB
Tel: 01305 206600
National Reference Laboratory for Chemical Hazards
Food and Environment Research Agency (FERA)
Sand Hutton
York
YO41 1LZ
Tel: 01904 462000
National Reference Laboratory for Genetically Modified Organisms
Laboratory of the Government Chemist Ltd
Queens Road
Teddington
Middlesex
TW11 0LY
Tel: 020 8943 7000
FSA designated food and feed NRLs for Northern Ireland
Additives for use in animal nutrition
Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety (AGES)
Institute for Animal Nutrition and Feed
Spargelfeldstrasse 191
1220 Vienna
Austria
Tel: +43 50555 33216
Email: nrl-ni-fsa@ages.at
Antimicrobial resistance
Sciensano
Rue Juliette Wytsmanstraat 14
Brussels
Belgium
1050
Tel: +43 50555 35107
Email: NRL.NI@sciensano.be
Campylobacter
Sciensano
Rue Juliette Wytsmanstraat 14
Brussels
Belgium
1050
Tel: +43 50555 35107
Email: NRL.NI@sciensano.be
Coagulase positive Staphylococci, including Staphylococcus aureus
Sciensano
Rue Juliette Wytsmanstraat 14
Brussels
Belgium
1050
Tel: +43 50555 35107
Email: NRL.NI@sciensano.be
Escherichia coli, including Verotoxigenic E. Coli (VTEC)
Sciensano
Rue Juliette Wytsmanstraat 14
Brussels
Belgium
1050
Tel: +43 50555 35107
Email: NRL.NI@sciensano.be
Foodborne viruses
Sciensano
Rue Juliette Wytsmanstraat 14
Brussels
Belgium
1050
Tel: +43 50555 35107
Email: NRL.NI@sciensano.be
Food Contact Materials
Health Service Executive
Public Analyst Laboratory
Sir Patrick Dun's
Lower Grand Canal Street
Dublin 2
DO2 P667
Tel: +353 (0) 16612022
Email: info.dpal@hse.ie
Genetically modified organisms
Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety (AGES)
Institute for Food Safety Vienna
Spargelfeldstrasse 191
1220 Vienna
Austria
Tel: +43 50555 35107
e-mail: nrl-ni-fsa@ages.at
Halogenated persistent organic pollutants (POPs)
To be confirmed.
Listeria monocytogenes
Sciensano
Rue Juliette Wytsmanstraat 14
Brussels
Belgium
1050
Tel: +43 50555 35107
Email: NRL.NI@sciensano.be
Metals and nitrogenous compounds
Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety (AGES)
Institute for Animal Nutrition and Feed
Wieningerstraße 8
4020 Linz
Austria
Tel: +43 50555 33216
e-mail: nrl-ni-fsa@ages.at
Monitoring of marine biotoxins
Wageningen Food Safety Research (WFSR)
Akkermaalsbos 2
Wageningen
Netherlands
6708 WB
Tel: +31317 481603
e-mail: mirjam.klijnstra@wurl.nl
Mycotoxins and plant toxins
Wageningen Food Safety Research (WFSR)
Akkermaalsbos 2
Wageningen
Netherlands
6708 WB
Tel: +31317 481603
e-mail: marta.sopel@wur.nl and sylvia.kalli@wur.nl
Parasites
To be confirmed.
Processing contaminants
Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety (AGES)
Institute for Food Safety Linz
Wieningerstraße 8
4020 Linz
Austria
Tel: +43 50555 35107
e-mail: nrl-ni-fsa@ages.at
The analysis and testing of Zoonoses (Salmonella)
Sciensano
Rue Juliette Wytsmanstraat 14
Brussels
Belgium
1050
Tel: +43 50555 35107
Email: NRL.NI@sciensano.be
Food Improvement Agents
To be confirmed.
Revision log
Published: 5 September 2018
Last updated: 7 May 2025