GovWire

The National Control Programme (NCP) for salmonella includes the testing of commercial chicken and turkey flocks across Great Britain.

Who can collect NCP official samples

NCP official samples must be collected by either:

• the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA)
• an approved Independent Control Body (ICB), with the samples tested by APHA Newcastle
• trained private veterinarians (in a limited number of scenarios)

NCP operator samples

Poultry producers must collect and submit NCP operator samples.

Fees for poultry keepers

You must pay fees for official control samples that are taken from your holding and tested by APHA.

Fees for sample collection and testing

You will need to pay:

• 12 per quarter hour or less for APHAs time spent taking the sample and time spent travelling to and from premises to collect samples
• 18 per sample for laboratory testing
• a fixed fee depending on the type of flocks you keep

Example

Based on fees from 1 July 2023 to 30 June 2024, if an APHA officer spent 30 minutes travelling to your premises and then spent 80 minutes taking 2 samples from an egg-laying chicken flock on your holding, youd be charged 197. This includes:

• the 41 fixed fee
• 2 x 18 to cover the cost of laboratory testing each sample (total 36)
• 6 x 12 for the 5 quarter hours, and 1 part quarter hour taken (total 72)
• 4 x 12 for the 4 quarter hours for a 60-minute return journey travel time (total 48)

Fees for disputing a positive test result from a flock producing eggs for human consumption

If certain types of salmonella are found in your flock, APHA will apply restrictions.

You may be eligible for extra tests to rule out a possible false positive test result.

APHA will decide whether further sampling is needed based on your written request. They will advise on which samples they need and either supervise the collection or collect the samples.

You will need to pay 123 (increasing to 146 on 1 July 2024) for:

• free range or barn flock not kept in a multi-tier unit: 2 dust samples and 5 pairs boot swab samples
• free range or barn flock kept in a multi-tier unit: 2 dust samples, 3 pairs of fabric swabs from manure belts and 2 pairs boot swab samples
• caged flock with insufficient faeces to sample on the manure belts: 2 dust samples and 5 pooled faeces samples
• caged flock with sufficient faeces to sample on the manure belts: 2 dust samples and 5 pairs of fabric swabs from the manure belts

You will need to pay 3,203 (increasing to 3,936 on 1 July 2024) for a sample of 300 hen carcasses.

You will need to pay 3,517 (increasing to 3,954 on 1 July 2024) for a sample of 4,000 eggs.

You must pay the same fees for APHA time and travel as is charged for standard collection of samples and testing.

How to pay your fees

You will get one invoice when APHA has carried out official sampling and the test is completed at an APHA laboratory.

You will get an invoice for just the laboratory tests if non-APHA private veterinarians or samplers collect the official samples.

All fees are exempt from VAT.

Fees for laboratory operators

Approved private laboratories must pay fees to apply for approval to carry out NCP tests.

Fees to get approval or re-approval

When you apply or re-apply for approval to test under the Salmonella National Control Programmes, you must pay:

• 86 to process your application or re-apply for approval
• 176 to cover proficiency testing for salmonella 4 times in the year

The year starts in April and if you apply later, APHA will charge you pro rata (44 per test).

If a test fails, youll have to pay an additional 44 for each extra proficiency test.

You will need to re-apply for approval every 2 years.

Fees for inspections

APHA may carry out an inspection linked with the time of approval or reapproval (every 2 years). APHA may also need to inspect your premises if there are quality assurance issues related to the approval.

Quality assurance inspections cost 688, increasing to 1,025 from 1 July 2024.