Provision of a Pesticide Residue Testing, Radiation Testing & Bacterial Testing

Tender description

The London Borough of Hillingdon is responsible for overseeing imported food and feed controls at its Imported Food Office located at London Heathrow Airport. Legislation requires imports of certain food and feed products to be introduced into Great Britain only via approved inspection facilities. The Imported Food Office at London Heathrow Airport is an approved inspection facility for both imports of products of animal origin, and those not of animal origin. The London Borough of Hillingdon are looking for a supplier or suppliers that can analyse imports of feed and food for the following contaminants: Lot A - Pesticide residues (fresh produce) Lot B - Microbiological contaminants Lot C - Caesium-134 and Caesium-137 Lot D - Other Miscellaneous Lot E- All of the above Suppliers can choose to submit a tender for all, some or none of the Lots as outlined below. The London Borough of Hillingdon reserves the right to award some, all of none of the Lots. The majority of imports that are examined by London Borough of Hillingdon Imported Food Officers are fresh, highly perishable products. All samples taken are formal official control samples. The samples taken fall into two categories: 1.Those where legislation requires the consignment to be detained pending the results of analysis. An expedited turnaround time is therefore required. 2. Those samples taken as part of surveillance activities. The consignment is not detained pending the results of sampling. These samples are not time critical, and an expedited turnaround time is not required. Quotations and turnaround times should be provided for both: 1. Consignments that have been sampled and will be detained pending the results of analysis (time critical samples). 2. Consignments that have been sampled and released pending the results of analysis (expedited turnaround time not required). The supplier will also be required to carry out analysis of samples submitted by the London Borough of Hillingdon Food Health and Safety Team for the purpose of enforcing the following legislation: a. Food Safety (Sampling and Qualifications) (England) Regulations 2013 b. The Food Safety Act 1990 and regulations made thereunder c. The Food Safety and Hygiene (England) Regulations 2013 d. any other legislation where it is agreed that the contractor has access to appropriate facilities and qualification to test the goods or samples. The Contract will be for an initial term of three (3) years extendable at Hillingdon's sole discretion for a further period of two (2) years extension, giving a total of five (5) years (the Term). Contract Commencement - December 2021