Scientific information underpins food safety policy. On the island of Ireland there are currently over 60 laboratories involved in food safety monitoring, analysis and research. Some operate directly under the control of government departments, some are operated by health boards and local authorities, others within institutes of higher education, and the remaining are provided by various national agencies. There is also a private laboratory sector with nearly 40 departmentally approved laboratories that offer routine food safety analytical services.

All play an integral role in providing high quality scientific information on food safety issues. However, this information is transferred into a variety of systems that are fragmented and uncoordinated. This limits the collation, analysis and dissemination of the scientific information required to solve food safety problems and protect consumer health on the island of Ireland. Consequently, communication and liaison between key personnel in food safety laboratories on the island is crucial.

Scientific partnerships and collaborations between safefood, laboratories and other agencies, will provide the links and networks that are necessary to build a co-ordinated and cohesive framework for enhanced food safety actions.
The provision of co-operative training and mobility programmes, and other laboratory initiatives and projects will facilitate the transfer of advanced laboratory methods and technologies to different laboratory groupings, e.g. public analyst’s, public health, agriculture and marine.

Lab Link Unit contact details:

Gary Kearney
email: gkearney@safefoodonline.com  

Kara Cashman
email: kcashman@safefoodonline.com

Linda Gordon
email: lgordon@safefoodonline.com