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Ille-et-Vilaine's test laboratory

A privileged observer of the animal world and natural environment

 
Un laborantin procède à des tests en laboratoire.
 
The test laboratory (Laboratoire départemental d'analyses, LDA) plays an important role in consumer protection, food safety, monitoring of animal  health, and environmental safety. There are two specialist locations :

Rennes : veterinary and food biology (near Fougères)
Combourg : agronomy, environment and food chemistry.
 
From reasoned fertilisation to the diagnosis of animal diseases
More than 80 people workin the laboratory on a daily basis.

Test results are used to :

  • encourage reasoned fertilisation of farm land and correct use of fertilisers
  • ensure the safety of commercial farming transactions
  • diagnose infectious diseases on a farm
  • consolidate the correct use of veterinary medicines
  • screen for unwanted substances in animal feeds e.g. dangerous germs etc.
An independent laboratory
Ille-et-Vilaine's test laboratory is a totally independent body with its own management committee on which consumer associations are represented. The management committee plays a consultative role and is responsible for assessing and developing the laboratory's policy guidelines.

A major contribution to the future Animal Health centre of excellence
In 2005, the Conseil général decided to transfer the Rennes site to the centre of excellence at La Grande Marche in Javené near Fougères. This will bring the laboratory closer to the French food safety agency (Agence Française de Sécurité Sanitaire des Aliments, AFSSA) and its test and research laboratory for veterinary medicines and disinfectants (Laboratoire d`Etudes et de Recherches sur les Médicaments Vétérinaires et Désinfectants, LERMVD) with a view to creating a centre that is a national reference in the field of animal health (cattle, dairy etc.) and sustainable development (organic farming etc.).
 
Extension of accreditations
The laboratory has been accredited by the French Ministry of Agriculture for many of its activities, including the diagnosis of BSE (bovine spongiform encephalopathy) since July 2001. It has also been accredited by the Ministry of Ecology and Sustainable Development since 2006 for tests relating to assessments of outflows of effluent from urban, agricultural and industrial areas. In 2006, Cofrac accreditation (French accreditation committee, Comité français d`accréditation) was extended to cover almost all the laboratory's work.
 

For further information

Contacts
Rennes :
Tel.  (+33) (0) 299 14 27 00
Combourg :
Tel.  (+33) (0) 299 73 02 29

Useful links
  • The website of the French accreditation committee : www.cofrac.fr