Guidance

Food, Water and Environmental Microbiology Laboratory, York: services

The laboratory provides diagnostic microbiological testing services for the examination of food, water and environmental samples.

The Food, water and environmental microbiology laboratory, York, provides public health-focused testing in line with regulation and guidance for a range of stakeholders including:

  • local authorities
  • port health authorities
  • NHS
  • commercial companies

The laboratory serves the North of England including:

  • Cheshire
  • Cumbria
  • Derbyshire
  • Lancashire
  • Lincolnshire
  • Manchester
  • Merseyside
  • Nottinghamshire
  • North East
  • Yorkshire and Humber

It also provides a service to commercial customers within these regions and across England.

Services available

The laboratory provides a range of services which include:

  • general hygiene screens for food samples and surface swabs
  • detection and identification of pathogens such as salmonella, listeria, campylobacter, vibrio, Escherichia coli (E. coli) O157 and other Shiga-toxin producing E.coli by conventional techniques and using PCR
  • spoilage organisms such as yeasts and moulds
  • end of shelf-life assessment for food
  • dairy product testing including determination of alkaline phosphatase activity
  • shellfish classification testing
  • swimming and spa pool water quality
  • potable and surface or recreational water quality
  • legionella and pseudomonas in water supplies
  • endoscopy rinse water and renal dialysis water
  • Bacillus anthracis detection in environmental samples
  • support for investigation of outbreaks

Accreditation

Contact

Food, Water and Environmental Microbiology Laboratory, York

York Biotech Campus
Block 10
Sand Hutton
York
YO41 1LZ

Email YorkFWELab@ukhsa.gov.uk

Telephone 01904 468 948

Fax 01904 468 082

Updates to this page

Published 31 July 2014
Last updated 3 March 2017 + show all updates
  1. Updated locations served by the lab and list of services.

  2. First published.

Sign up for emails or print this page