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MTD’s extensive Public Analyst laboratory services specialise in the science of public protection, testing food, water, feeds, cosmetics, etc, to confirm compliance with current regulations.

MTD’s laboratories are a UKAS Accredited Testing Laboratory and our Public Analysts operate independently of any external organisation or Governmental Body.

The extensive training and expertise required to obtain a Mastership of Chemical Analysis (MChemA) (Public Analyst qualification) makes Public Analysts a rare breed (only about thirty currently practice in the UK).  MTD can offer the services of several fully qualified and experienced Public Analysts who are skilled at presenting their findings and, if necessary, as expert witnesses in a court of law.

MTD’s laboratories contain highly sophisticated modern equipment sitting alongside traditional-looking racks of glassware. Suitable analysis is applied to each specific investigation, where even the best modern technology may not be as appropriate as a classical approach.

MTD have contracts with Local Government Authorities and provide many services to industries where our high degree of skill, reliability and integrity may not be available through other commercial laboratories.

Public Analysts are active in many areas relevant to the protection of the public, particularly the following:-

Fertilisers for full statutory analysis and contaminants.

Grains and animal feeding stuffs for full statutory analysis and examinations including:

  • Mammalian protein
  • Medical additive
  • Nutrition
  • Other contaminants
  • Toxicants

Hay and silage assessments.

Soil analysis for:

  • Lime requirements
  • Macronutrients
  • Micronutrients

Blood and urine analysis in accordance with the Road Traffic Act

Advisory Services include consultancy in “back-calculations” for Solicitors and expert witness appearances when required.

The Royal Society of Chemistry lists one of our Public Analysts on their register of Road Traffic Act Analysts providing this service.

Items which are subject to the Sale of Goods Act, Trades Descriptions Acts, and the CHIP Regulations this would include:

  • Antifreeze preparations
  • Detergents
  • Glazed ceramics and cooking ware.
  • Hand tools for claims relating to metal type and fitness for purpose
  • Household chemical preparations
  • Textile fibre content
  • Pencils and graphic items

Full chemical analysis and bacteriological examination of foods, including:

  • Composition
  • Contaminants
  • Modified atmospheres
  • Nutrition
  • Pesticide
  • Preservative
  • Shelf-live evaluation
  • Toxicant residues

Immunological examination of foods including:

  • Detection of cows milk in goats milk and cheese
  • Meat species
  • Peanut protein
  • Soya
  • Various mycotoxins

Full microscopical evaluations including:

  • Foreign bodies in foods
  • Identification of moulds
  • Insect fragments
  • Plant tissues

DNA analysis

  • Fish species
  • GMOs

Local Authority food complaint sample investigation including foreign body identification utilising MTD’s electron microscope and infra red microscope

All aspects of food legislation including correct labelling requirements.

  • Assessments of air pollutants
  • Contaminated land and groundwater pollutants analysis
  • Identification of unknown containers of substances washed onto local beaches for the Emergency Services or Local Authorities
  • Landfill gas
  • Services or Local Authorities

Advisory Services related to the above.

  • Examination for drugs of addiction (Home Office Licence)
  • Herbal medicine examinations
  • Full monographs assays for medicines contained in the British, European and United States Pharmacopoeias.
  • Full analysis of effluents, trade wastes and landfill leachates
  • Full chemical and bacteriological analysis of drinking waters to regulatory standards.
  • Swimming pool water chemical and bacteriological testing

Advisory Services include quality assessments of water for bottling, production from boreholes, recommendations for treatment of potable water and safe discharge of trade wastes.

Please refer to our current Schedule of Accreditation for information on our accredited tests.

For more information about our public analyst analysis and testing services get in touch 

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