Public analyst facts for kids

Public Analysts are special scientists in the British Isles. Their main job is to make sure the food you eat is safe and correctly described. They do this by testing food to see if it follows the law. Most Public Analysts also check animal food and fertilisers.

Today, their work also includes checking that food labels are correct. They test drinking water too. Sometimes, they test other products you might buy. Many other scientists and technicians help in the lab. But the Public Analyst is legally responsible for all the tests and opinions given. There is an Association of Public Analysts. This group includes scientists with similar jobs in other countries.

History of Public Analysts

The job of Public Analyst started with a law in 1860. The first three were in London, Birmingham, and Dublin. The first one in Scotland was Henry Littlejohn in Edinburgh in 1862. He had a strong medical background. He helped set up many important rules for public analysis.

Later laws in 1875 and 1899 made food testing a must. Officers who took samples usually worked with local health groups. By 1894, there were 99 Public Analysts. They looked after 237 areas in England and Wales. In 1908, the City of London Corporation had three food inspectors. One inspector in Bradford visited 756 fish and chip shops in 1915! In the 1930s, the lab in Birmingham had three assistants, a clerk, and a lab helper.

Old laws from 1855 and 1875 allowed samples of food to be taken. Inspectors, police, and samplers took food samples. Each sample was split into three parts. One part went to the seller, one to the inspector, and one to the analyst. They were sealed in bottles.

Food factories were built so inspectors could easily check them. It was not common to go to court, but fines and even prison sentences did happen. The number of bad food samples dropped a lot. It went from 13.8% in 1879 to 4.8% in 1930. Inspectors could even follow milk to farms outside their area. This helped check for diseases like tuberculosis. Health groups had to register all dairies. They also had to make sure they were clean.

In 1899, a law in Manchester helped stop the sale of milk from sick cows. It allowed officials to check cows and take samples. By 1910, many other towns and cities had similar rules.

The Society of Public Analysts was started in 1874.

Today, the UK and Ireland have different laws. But the job and duties of a Public Analyst are still very similar. In the past, they mainly did chemical tests. This is still a big part of their job. But now, checking food for tiny living things (microbes) is also very important. Especially in Scotland, where Public Analyst labs also act as Food Examiners.

Public Analysts in the UK

The main law in the UK is the Food Safety Act 1990. All local councils must have a Public Analyst. There have always been fewer Public Analysts than councils. So, one lab often serves many councils. In the UK, some labs are run by the government, and some are private. They all offer the same service. Rules make sure there are no conflicts of interest.

To become a Public Analyst, you need a special qualification. It's called the Mastership in Chemical Analysis (MChemA). The Royal Society of Chemistry gives this award. It's a special exam that shows you know a lot about food. It also proves you understand food laws. And you must know how to use chemical tests to make sure food laws are followed.

Public Analyst labs must also be checked by an independent group. This makes sure they meet international quality standards.

In the mid-1980s, there were about 40 Public Analyst labs in the UK. They had over 100 Public Analysts. By 2022, this number had dropped to 15 labs. This happened partly because labs became bigger and more efficient. But a bigger reason was not enough money. Even though some labs are larger now, the overall testing ability is much less than it used to be.

Local councils make sure food laws are followed in the UK. This is mainly done by environmental health officers and trading standards officers. These officers take food samples. But the Public Analysts and Food Examiners are the scientists who test the samples. They use their special skills and knowledge to see if the food follows the law.

Public Analysts in Ireland

Public Analyst Labs in Cork, Dublin, and Galway help the Food Safety Authority of Ireland. They provide testing services for food safety.

Public Analysts in Crown Dependencies

There is one Public Analyst Lab in each of Guernsey, Isle of Man, and Jersey. They serve the needs of these islands.

Public Analysts in Australia

There is also one Public Analyst Lab in Australia.

What Public Analysts Do

A Public Analyst runs a lab that does many important things:

• Tests food:
  • To check its ingredients: Many foods have rules about what they should contain.
  • To check for additives: These are extra things put in food. They must be allowed by law and in the right amounts.
  • To check for contamination: This means looking for harmful chemicals or tiny living things (like bacteria).
  • To make sure food labels are correct.
  • To investigate if people's complaints about food are true.
• Understands the law:
  • They know the laws about food from the EU, UK, or Ireland.
  • They can act as an expert witness in court cases.

Besides food law, Public Analysts also give expert science help to local councils and private companies. For example, they:

• Test drinking water, swimming pool water, and water from factories.
• Check environmental things like land pollution and building materials.
• Give advice on waste management.
• Check and advise on air pollution.
• Give advice on how safe products are for people, like toys.
• Check for asbestos and other dangers.
• Do tests to help coroners understand causes of death.

How Samples Are Taken

Public Analysts usually don't control how samples are taken.

Local councils have a duty to check food safety. They also need to protect people who buy food. To do this, they make plans for taking samples. They try to balance checking food with their limited money and other tasks.

A typical plan for a local council might include samples from:

• A specific place, like a supermarket, a food maker, a restaurant, or a country.
• Meat products: To check the amount of meat, fat, or other ingredients. Also to check for additives or the type of animal.
• Products that make special claims (like "low fat").
• Hidden ingredients in prepared foods.
• Contaminated products.
• The nutrition in prepared meals.

See also

• Chartered Chemist
• Food Safety Act 1990