National Reference Laboratories (NRLs)

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.

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.