Authorised officer to take samples

(a) The authorised officer shall conduct a regular surveillance of the biological residues in live animals, they are to take excrement and bodily fluids and in tissue, animal products, animal feed and drinking water for the purpose of detecting the presence of the residues and substances listed in the Second Schedule. (b) The authorized officer shall institute a programme, taking into consideration the ante mortem and post mortem signs, the history of the farm and area from which the animals or animal products come from and the chemicals and/or drugs used on the farm. (c) Such samples shall be taken according to the phase of the investigation, which shall in the first instance be an investigatory phase, followed by the second or routine surveillance phase. However, in any known or suspected situation of biological residue abuse or accident more intensive sampling may be instituted as deemed necessary by the (i) In the investigatory phase, the animals or animal products of a lot shall be randomly selected, and one set of samples shall be taken from the carcass, meat, fish or animal product in accordance with the sampling strategy outlined in the Second Schedule. Second Schedule. (ii) Where the animals or the animal products are of unknown or undisclosed origin, the carcasses, meat, fish or animal product shall be subjected to more intense sampling regime in accordance with the principles of Codex Alimentarius Commission. (iii) All carcasses, meat, fish or animal products of such animals shall be retained by the authorised officer pending the receipt of the laboratory provided that the carcases, meat, fish or animal products of any animal may be exported to those countries which do not require laboratory tests, before the receipt of such laboratory results. (iv) In the routine surveillance phase, samples shall be taken from randomly selected carcasses, meat, fish or animal products of animals at about half the rate of sampling used in the investigatory phase, provided that where there is a specific requirement for the sampling levels and frequency to meet certain export specifications, then the level and 370 frequency of such testing shall meet such requirements. First Schedule. (d) All samples shall be accompanied by a Laboratory Request Form A as prescribed in the First Schedule, stating the analysis requested, species of animal, type of animal product or tissue submitted, name and address of establishment, name and address of the owner of the animal and of the farm, feedlot, aquaculture facility, processing enterprise, or other source of the animals. The type of sample and amounts to be submitted will depend on the analytical method used but will be based on the recommendations of Codex Alimentarius. (e) Samples shall be taken in duplicate and the duplicate sample shall be retained by the authorised officer pending the receipt of the (f) The methods of analysis shall be those specified by the following internationally acceptable protocols. First Schedule. (g) The laboratory results shall be reported in the Primary Analysis Certificate Form B as prescribed by First Schedule. (h) (I) Where the primary analysis shows that an official sample contains– (a) a prohibited substance; or (b) an un-registered substance; or (c) a substance which an analyst reasonably suspects to be an unregistered substance; or (d) in the case of a sample taken from an animal, its excrement or body fluids or from its tissues or products, an substance at a concentration which is notified to the analyst by an authorised officer as one which causes him reasonably to suspect that meat or a food product derived from that animal may contain an substance at a concentration exceeding the relevant maximum residue limit; or (e) in the case of a sample taken from any meat or food product of animal origin, an authorized substance at a concentration exceeding the relevant maximum residue limit, the analyst shall give a primary analysis certificate, in the form specified in the Primary Analysis Certificate Form B in the First Schedule to an authorized officer who shall then give this to the owner of the animal, meat or food product of animal origin. First Schedule. (II) Where the primary analysis does not show anything requiring a Primary Analysis Certificate to be given under subparagraph (I) above, the analyst shall notify an authorised officer of that fact 372 and the authorised officer shall then notify the owner of the animal, meat or food product of animal origin. (i) (1) Any Primary Analysis Certificate given by an analyst under these Regulations shall be signed by the analyst and shall specify the name of the authorised officer who submitted the sample for analysis. (2) In any proceedings under these Regulations, the production by one of the parties– (a) of any document purporting to be a Primary Analysis Certificate given by an analyst under subparagraph (1) above; or (b) of a document supplied to him by the other party as being a copy of such a Certificate, shall be sufficient evidence of the facts stated in it unless, in a case falling within subparagraph (1) above, the other party requires the analyst to be called as a witness. kept.