asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if he will outline the facilities available to him for the detailed analysis of food for human consumption and animal feeding stuffs; whether comprehensive facilities are available within the State; and the circumstances, if any, where recourse is had to such facilities outside the State.
Written Answers. - Food Analysis.
114.
There are laboratory facilities available to my Department for the detailed analysis of food for human consumption at the following centres:—
Central Meat Control Laboratory, Abbotstown, Dublin 15; Dairy Science Laboratory, Dublin; Dairy Science Laboratory, Cork; Dairy Science Laboratory, Limerick; State Laboratory, Abbotstown, Dublin 15.
In the normal course the facilities available at these laboratories are fully adequate. In the case of poultry there are, however, occasions when samples have to be referred to an internationally recognised reference laboratory in London for more precise identification.
Comprehensive facilities are available in the State Laboratory for the conduct of detailed analysis of animal feeding stuffs. There have been only two occasions when samples have had to be referred to a laboratory in the UK for analysis.