National Reference Laboratory
Food contaminants
Advising the UK's Food Standards Agency on a wide range of food contaminant issues is CSL's main responsibility as the National Reference Laboratory (NRL) for contaminants in food. This adds to our already established role as NRL for pesticides and veterinary drugs.
Due to the depth and breadth of our knowledge in contaminants analysis, we are the UK's central expert body on food contaminants providing help and advice to the FSA on:
- Mycotoxins
- Heavy metals
- Dioxins and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)
- Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)
- Materials and articles in contact with food
The NRL services CSL provides include a channel for communication between the FSA and other laboratories, advice and representation on contaminants within the UK/EU and production of standard operating procedures, codes of practice and guidance documents.
CSL has developed a dedicated National Reference Laboratory website to act as an online portal providing up to date industry information on food contaminants. The content ranges from legislation and reference sources, through to the latest information on analytical standards, to details of up and coming international conferences.
To access the website visit National Reference Laboratory, or alternatively, email .