Globally recognised provider of proficiency tests, running over 400 tests annually across an extensive range of matrices and analytes
A single sample taken by an ecologist at any time during the newt breeding season can determine their presence or absence, saving you time and money
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years of science
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As a quick and accurate alternative to traditional methods of surveying, during the breeding season we offer environmental DNA (eDNA) testing for the presence of great crested newts in pond water.
The eDNA Service is based on the recommended protocol by Natural England, and pond samples can be taken during the newt breeding season from the 15th April until the 30th of June.
Fera has the scientific and regulatory expertise to provide consultancy services to help you with every step of the regulatory framework process. Our experience derives from working in government, industry, contract research organisations and in regulatory consultancies. We have well-established working relationships with many competent authorities, which means we can support you to achieve product registrations effectively and efficiently.
Preparing a detailed and thorough dossier of evidence and data is essential for a hassle-free product approval. We can help to ensure that you provide all the necessary evidence, compliance data and risk assessments to satisfy the requirements of the regulatory authority – whether for BPR or REACH registration.
Fera consultancy services support you through the regulatory processes required to register your chemical products and biocides in the EU.
If you are a company developing veterinary products or plant protection products (PPPs), it’s essential that you fully assess the risks posed by your products to the wider environment and natural ecosystems.
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Our research expertise and scientific resources can help you to test your plant-protection products for their effects on bee survival, development and behaviour – helping you to develop products that are safe for bees and other pollinators.
Chemical Safety Science Lead
Chris has over 15 years of experience in all aspects of chemical safety. He is responsible for the management and delivery of the regulatory environmental risk assessment processes (quantifying risk for pesticides, veterinary medicines and feed additives) of environmental fate and behaviour of chemicals (e.g. movement of chemicals through soils to surface and ground waters) for our customers.
With a large range of testing abilities, our multi-disciplinary approach gives an overall view of any food issue you may be facing, providing you with the complete information you need to make the strong decisions needed to address these issues.
Food recalls can cost millions of pounds and can devastate a company's reputation. Consumers, retailers and regulators are now demanding transparency and accountability for the entire ingredient supply chain.
Fera is the UK National Reference Laboratory for Materials and Articles in Contact with Food. Food contact materials testing is used worldwide to make sure that food is not contaminated by any of the products it comes into contact with.
Our experts focus on the scientific research relating to intentionally added food components and to those arising from chemical changes during food processing, bioactive chemicals and natural toxicants
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To aid in the declaration of polyphosphates we have developed a test that detects the amount of 'added' phosphates in prawns, distinguishing between the naturally occurring levels of phosphates and the level of added phosphates.
Scientific Lead and Project Manager for Food Authenticity
James is the scientific lead and project manager for work relating to food authenticity at Fera. Currently, his primary research interests are identification of biomarkers and where applicable, the subsequent development of rapid and/or portable tools for their detection.
Fera offers a suite of crop health services, resources, testing facilities and expertise to help farmers, growers and the food industry to improve yields, reduce costs and develop sustainable solutions.
Initial assessment typically includes visual examination of your sample by our plant pathologists to assess the most probable cause and appropriate method of testing. We will report back to you within 5 working days of receiving your sample, giving our initial examination findings and if appropriate, a time-scale for completion of the work.
Pests and diseases present a major challenge to both agriculture and our natural environment, with around one third of the global harvest lost to weeds, pests and diseases every year. Fera provides a host of targeted research and development services to help governments, policymakers, agricultural and horticultural businesses, farmers and growers tackle these threats.
The Fera insect monitoring service helps growers to target insecticide applications more accurately to reduce costs and waste, optimise resources and improve yields.
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These quarantine potato diseases are notifiable in the UK and are listed in the EC Plant Health Directive. Fera can highlight the presence of these diseases within your potato samples to mitigate the economic risks associated with disease outbreak.
Contact us on +44 (0)300 100 0322 to learn more.
Principal Plant Virologist
As lead virologist, his role is to deliver a high-quality virology diagnostic service to a wide range of UK and overseas government and commercial clients. Adrian has participated as an external expert on working groups for European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).
Established in 1990, Fapas is a globally recognised provider of proficiency tests, running over 400 tests annually across an extensive range of matrices and analytes for the food and water, environmental chemistry and microbiology sectors.
Proficiency testing is an essential part of laboratory quality procedure and participation is a mandatory requirement of ISO 17025 accreditation. Fapas proficiency testing provides an independent assessment of your laboratory performance and compares your results to laboratories worldwide.
Surplus test materials from the batch used for the PT may be available for purchase as quality control (QC) samples. These QC samples may be used for troubleshooting poor performance in the PT, training of new staff, method development or generating QC charts.
Reference Materials (RMs) are also available from Fapas for some analyte/matrix combinations. RMs have a much higher degree of characterisation than PT or QC materials with a defined chain of traceability
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Bespoke schemes from Fapas give customers a variety of ways of commissioning proficiency tests to their own specification.
Scientific Advisor to Fapas
Mark’s principal role is to provide expert advice on all aspects of Fapas proficiency tests and to investigate difficult datasets and their underlying scientific problems. Mark is also responsible for new product development in proficiency testing and developing bespoke schemes.
Translating research into real-world solutions across the agri-food supply chain
We live in a changing world, one that faces global challenges such as climate change, increasing globalisation and population growth. In turn, these all affect our food security. Learn how we are meeting these challenges within our Science Strategy.
As an organisation our focus is translating research into evidence and science-based products and services. As we move forward, we encourage an approach that is more entrepreneurial, internationally-focused and integrated into cross-cutting, interdisciplinary programmes that are underpinned by our strategic partnerships and driven by the needs of our customers.
The aim of the partnership is to deliver innovation in research across the agri-food supply chain, and provide sustainable solutions to problems facing Fera’s diverse customer base in both the agricultural and food sectors. The Institute for Agri-Food Research and Innovation (IAFRI) is a joint venture between Newcastle University and Fera Science Ltd (Fera).
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We collaborate and partner with many industry and government organisations in order to aid in the safeguarding our natural environment, supporting our world-leading food and farming industry, and sustaining a thriving rural economy.
Director of Science
Rick is the Director of Science at Fera, leading on science strategy and head of profession for over 350 scientists. Rick has extensive experience of working with both government and industry, across agriculture, horticulture and into the wider environment.
The most recent EFSA Guidance Document proposes a tiered risk assessment scheme including non-Apis species (Bombus spp. (Bumble bees) and solitary bees) as well as honey bees (Apis mellifera). This guidance will likely be followed by new regulations making the tiered risk assessment scheme mandatory. Although this guidance document has not yet been formally accepted into the legislative framework the data requirements are clearly set out in the current legislation – Commission Regulations (EU) Nos 283/2013 and 284/2013 (data requirements for active substances and PPPs respectively) and therefore receiving authorities will expect this data.
To learn more about our Bee Ecotoxicology Testing Services download our ebook today.
As of the 11th April 2018 Regulation (EU) 2017/2158 came into force which outlines that food business operators must work to tighter controls for determining the level of acrylamide in foodstuffs and in accordance with the requirements set out in Annex III. The new regulation will require that food business operators (FBOs) apply mandatory measures to reduce the presence of acrylamide, proportionate to the size and nature of their establishment. It has been known for some time that Acrylamide is a carcinogenic substance that forms from naturally present free asparagine (amino acid) and sugars during high temperature processing, such as frying, roasting and baking, particularly in potato-based products, cereal-based products, coffee and coffee substitutes.
"It has been announced that the EU Member States representatives voted in favour of European Commission's proposal to reduce the presence of acrylamide in food"
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