Sample Analysis of Food of Animal Origin for Ireland’s National Residue Control Programme

Tender description

The National Residue Control Plan (NRCP) is an important component of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine’s (the Department) overall food safety programme involving the testing of animal and food samples for residues. Under EU legislation (Regulation (EU) 2017/625 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 March 2017), each Member State is required to implement a residue sampling and analysis monitoring plan and to submit their programmes annually to the European Commission for approval. The national legal basis is the European Communities (Control of Animal Remedies and their Residues) Regulations 2009 (S.I. No. 183/2009). The Department is engaged in updating national legal basis which will be in place in 2023. The scope of sampling covers various animal/food categories and distinct residue groups such as: - banned substances, - authorised veterinary medicines, - approved animal feed additives and - environmental contaminants. (Hereinafter referred to as “Samples”). Samples are required to be analysed at officially approved laboratories holding accreditation to the International Standard ISO 17025:2017. From time to time in conjunction with risk assessment protocols the Department may arrange a survey in relation to a particular substance for a finite period. The purpose of this Request for Tender (RFT) is to set up Service Contracts for the provision of external laboratory analysis services (screening and confirmatory analysis). The RFT provides for a number of Lots. Tenderers may tender for one or more Lots. The Contracting Authority requires laboratories to carry out (a) screening and/or (b) confirmatory analysis on a range of Samples (animal tissue, plasma, serum, urine, honey, milk, water and eggs) collected under Ireland’s National Residue Control Programme (NRCP) referred to above.