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Statutory Rules of Northern Ireland


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2004 No. 487

FOOD

The Contaminants in Food Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2004

  Made 25th November 2004 
  Coming into operation 20th December 2004 

The Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety[1] in exercise of the powers conferred on it by Articles 15(1)(a), (e) and (f), 16(1) and (2), 25(1)(a), (2)(e) and (3), 26(3), 32 and 47(2) of the Food Safety (Northern Ireland) Order 1991[2], and of all other powers enabling it in that behalf, having had regard, in accordance with Article 47(3A) of the said Order, to relevant advice given by the Food Standards Agency, and after consultation as required by Article 9 of Regulation (EC) No. 178/2002 of the European Parliament and of the Council laying down the general principles and requirements of food law, establishing the European Food Safety Authority and laying down procedures in matters of food safety[3], and in accordance with Article 47(3) and (3B) of the said Order, hereby makes the following Regulations:

Citation and commencement
     1. These Regulations may be cited as the Contaminants in Food Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2004, and shall come into operation on 20th December 2004.

Interpretation
    
2.  - (1) In these Regulations -

    (2) Other expressions used in these Regulations and in the Commission Regulation have the same meaning as in the Commission Regulation.

Offences and penalties
     3. Subject to regulations 6, 10 and 11, a person shall be guilty of an offence and liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale if -

Enforcement
    
4. Each district council shall enforce and execute these Regulations within its district.

Modification of Article 29 of the Food Safety (Northern Ireland) Order 1991 (procurement of samples) and analysis of samples
    
5.  - (1) In its application to the taking of a sample of any food specified in Sections 1 to 6 of Annex I to the Commission Regulation, Article 29 of the Order shall be modified so as to require the power to take samples under paragraph (b) and (d) of that Article to be exercised in accordance with the methods of taking samples described or referred to -

    (2) Where, pursuant to Article 29(b) or (d) of the Order as modified by paragraph (1), an authorised officer has taken a sample of food of the description referred to in sub-paragraph (b) of that paragraph, and he has submitted that sample to be analysed pursuant to Article 30(1)(a) of the Order the person who analyses the sample shall ensure that -

    (3) Where, pursuant to Article 29(b) or (d) of the Order as modified by paragraph (1), an authorised officer has taken a sample of food of the description referred to in sub-paragraph (c) of that paragraph, and he has submitted that sample to be analysed pursuant to Article 30(1)(a) of the Order the person who analyses the sample shall ensure that -

    (4) Where, pursuant to Article 29(b) or (d) of the Order as modified by paragraph (1), an authorised officer has taken a sample of food of the description referred to in sub-paragraph (d) of that paragraph, and he has submitted that sample to be analysed pursuant to Article 30(1)(a) of the Order the person who analyses the sample shall ensure that -

    (5) Where, pursuant to Article 29(b) or (d) of the Order as modified by paragraph (1), an authorised officer has taken a sample of food of the description referred to in sub-paragraph (e) of that paragraph, and he has submitted that sample to be analysed pursuant to Article 30(1)(a) of the Order the person who analyses the sample shall ensure that -

    (6) Where, pursuant to Article 29(b) or (d) of the Order as modified by paragraph (1), an authorised officer has taken a sample of food of the description referred to in sub-paragraph (f) of that paragraph, and he has submitted that sample to be analysed pursuant to Article 30(1)(a) of the Order the person who analyses the sample shall ensure that -

    (7) Where, pursuant to Article 29(b) or (d) of the Order as modified by paragraph (1), an authorised officer has taken a sample of food of the description referred to in sub-paragraph (g) of that paragraph, and he has submitted that sample to be analysed pursuant to Article 30(1)(a) of the Order the person who analyses the sample shall ensure that -

Defence in relation to exports
     6. In any proceedings for an offence consisting of a contravention of regulation 3 it shall be a defence for the accused to prove that the food in respect of which the offence is alleged to have been committed was intended for export to a country other than a member State which has legislation analogous to these Regulations, and that the food complies with that legislation.

Application of various provisions of the Order
    
7.  - (1) The following provisions of the Order shall apply for the purposes of these Regulations with the modification that any reference in them to the Order or Part thereof shall be construed as a reference to these Regulations -

    (2) Subject to paragraph (3), Article 8 of the Order (inspection and seizure of suspected food) shall apply for the purposes of these Regulations as if it read as follows -

    (3) The expressions "placing on the market", "Directive 98/53/EC", "Directive 2001/22/EC", "Directive 2002/26/EC", "Directive 2002/69/EC", "Directive 2003/78/EC" and "Directive 2004/16/EC" which are used in Article 8 of the Order so far as it applies for the purposes of these Regulations by virtue of paragraph (2), shall, for those purposes, bear the meanings that those expressions respectively bear in these Regulations.

Re-dispatch or destruction of imported food that does not comply with these Regulations
     8.  - (1) If it appears to an authorised officer that any food contravenes regulation 3(a)(i) or (b)(i) and has been imported into Northern Ireland he may after appropriate consultation with a person appearing to him to be the importer of the food serve on that person a notice requiring -

    (2) The notice served under paragraph (1) shall state -

    (3) Any person who is aggrieved by the decision of an authorised officer to serve a notice under paragraph (1) may appeal to a court of summary jurisdiction, which shall determine whether or not the notice should be upheld or set aside.

    (4) The period within which such an appeal as is mentioned in paragraph (3) may be brought shall be 5 days, exclusive of Saturdays, Sundays and Public Holidays, from the date on which notice of the decision was served.

    (5) The procedure on an appeal to a court of summary jurisdiction under paragraph (3) shall be by way of notice under Part VII of the Magistrates' Courts (Northern Ireland) Order 1981[
35].

    (6) If the court allows an appeal brought under paragraph (3) the district council shall compensate the owner of the food concerned for any depreciation in its value resulting from the action taken by the authorised officer.

    (7) Any disputed question as to the right to or the amount of any compensation payable under paragraph (6) shall be determined by a single arbitrator appointed, failing agreement between the parties, by the Department; and the provisions of the Arbitration Act 1996 shall apply accordingly.

    (8) Any person who breaches the terms of a notice served under paragraph (1) shall be guilty of an offence and liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding three months or to both.

    (9) This regulation is subject to regulation 9.

Secondary treatment of imported food that does not comply with these Regulations
     9.  - (1) In relation to any food which is of the type referred to in Article 4.3(a), (b) and (d) of the Commission Regulation and in respect of which an authorised officer may serve a notice in accordance with regulation 8(1), the authorised officer may, after appropriate consultation with a person appearing to him to be the importer of the food, serve on that person a notice requiring him to -

    (2) The notice served under paragraph (1) shall state -

    (3) Any person who is aggrieved by the decision of an authorised officer to serve a notice under paragraph (1) may appeal to a court of summary jurisdiction, which shall determine whether or not the notice should be upheld or set aside.

    (4) The period within which such an appeal as is mentioned in paragraph (3) may be brought shall be 5 days from the date on which the notice was served exclusive of Saturdays, Sundays and Public Holidays.

    (5) The procedure on an appeal to a court of summary jurisdiction under paragraph (3) shall be by way of notice under Part VII of the Magistrates' Courts (Northern Ireland) Order 1981.

    (6) If the court allows an appeal brought under paragraph (3) the district council shall compensate the owner of the food concerned for any depreciation in its value resulting from the action taken by the authorised officer.

    (7) Any disputed question as to the right to or the amount of any compensation payable under paragraph (6) shall be determined by a single arbitrator appointed, failing agreement between the parties, by the Department; and the provisions of the Arbitration Act 1996 shall apply accordingly.

    (8) Any person who fails to comply with any of the requirements specified in a notice served under paragraph (1) shall be guilty of an offence and liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding three months or to both.

Transitional provisions
    
10. Regulation 3(a)(i) and (b)(i) shall not apply in relation to any food -

     11. Regulation 3(a)(ii) and (b)(ii) shall not apply in relation to any contravention of Article 2.3 of the Commission Regulation, to the extent that the contravention consists in the use as a food ingredient, for the production of a compound foodstuff, of -

Revocations
    
12. The Tin in Food Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1992[36] and the Contaminants in Food Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2003[37] are hereby revoked.



Sealed with the Official Seal of the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety on


25th November 2004.

L.S.


Jim F. Livingstone
A senior officer of the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety


EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Regulations.)


    
1. These Regulations, which revoke and re-enact with changes the Contaminants in Food Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2003 (S.R. 2003 No. 299) -

     2. These Regulations -

     3. These Regulations also revoke the Tin in Food Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1992 (regulation 12).


Notes:

[1] Formerly the Department of Health and Social Services; see S.I. 1999/283 (N.I. 1) Article 3(6)back

[2] S.I. 1991/762 (N.I. 7) as amended by S.I.1996/1663 (N.I. 12) and paragraphs 26 to 42 of Schedule 5 and Schedule 6 to the Food Standards Act 1999 c. 28back

[3] O.J. No. L31, 1.2.2002, p. 1back

[4] O.J. No. L77, 16.3.2001, p. 1, as adopted by EEA Joint Committee Decision No. 81/2002 (O.J. No. L266, 3.10.2002, p. 30 EEA supplement No. 49, 3.10.2002)back

[5] O.J. No. L313, 30.11.2001, p. 60, as adopted by EEA Joint Committee Decision No. 81/2002back

[6] O.J. No. L321, 6.12.2001, p. 1, as adopted by EEA Joint Committee Decision No. 81/2002back

[7] O.J. No. L37, 7.2.2002, p. 4, as adopted by EEA Joint Committee Decision No. 139/2002 (O.J. No. L19, 23.1.2003, p.3 and EEA supplement No. 5, 23.1.2003)back

[8] O.J. No. L41, 13.2.2002, p. 12, as adopted by EEA Joint Committee Decision No. 100/2002 (O.J. No. L298, 31.10.2002, p.13 and EEA supplement No. 54, 31.10.2002, p. 11)back

[9] O.J. No. L75, 16.3.2002, p. 18, as adopted by EEA Joint Committee Decision No. 161/2002 (O.J. No. L38, 13.2.2003, p. 16 and EEA supplement No. 9, 13.2.2003, p. 13)back

[10] O.J. No. L80, 23.3.2002, p. 42back

[11] O.J. No. L86, 3.4.2002, p. 5, as adopted by EEA Joint Committee Decision No. 161/2002back

[12] O.J. No. L155, 14.6.2002, p. 63, as adopted by EEA Joint Committee Decision No. 161/2002back

[13] O.J. No. L203, 12.8.2003, p. 1back

[14] O.J. No. L326, 13.12.2003, p. 12back

[15] O.J. No. L42, 13.2.2004, p. 3back

[16] O.J. No. L74, 12.3.2004, p. 11back

[17] O.J. No. L106, 15.4.2004, p. 6back

[18] O.J. No. L372, 31.12.1985, p. 50back

[19] O.J. No. L290, 24.11.1993, p. 14back

[20] O.J. No. L201, 17.7.1998, p. 93, as adopted by EEA Joint Committee Decision No. 93/1999 (O.J. No. L296, 23.11.2000, p. 58)back

[21] O.J. No. L75, 16.3.2002, p. 44, as adopted by EEA Joint Committee Decision No. 161/2002back

[22] O.J. No. L332, 19.12.2003, p. 38back

[23] O.J. No. L113, 20.4.2004, p. 14back

[24] O.J. No. L77, 16.3.2001, p. 14back

[25] O.J. No. L325, 8.12.2001, p. 34back

[26] O.J. No. L75, 16.3.2002, p. 38back

[27] O.J. No. L209, 6.8.2002, p. 5back

[28] O.J. No. L252, 20.9.2002, p. 40back

[29] O.J. No. L113, 20.4.2004, p. 17back

[30] O.J. No. L203, 12.8.2003, p. 40back

[31] O.J. No. L42, 13.2.2004, p. 16back

[32] The requirement is that the minimum number of units required for a laboratory sample in such circumstances is 10back

[33] O.J. No. L187, 16.7.2002, p. 30back

[34] 1996 c. 23back

[35] S.I. 1981/1675 (N.I. 26)back

[36] S.R. 1992 No. 166back

[37] S.R. 2003 No. 299back



ISBN 0 33795747 9


  © Crown copyright 2004

Prepared 6 December 2004


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