Food Standards Agency Health Protection Scotland
FSSUK – Enhanced Outcomes Guidance Document
Version 3 – September 2013

Author: Norman D Michie – Consultant Analytical Scientist

1. Preface

The ability to designate whether a sample has been judged to be satisfactory or unsatisfactory and to record some information as to why it has been considered to be unsatisfactory has been part of FSSUK since its inception. Indeed, this facility has been part of LIMS systems such as that provided by AIS-Lims for even longer.

By 2008 it was becoming clear that the amount of information being recorded on samples was not sufficient to allow searches of data to be made with sufficient simplicity and sophistication to allow FSSUK to provide the information that was required. A review 1 of what had become known as the “Outcomes Process” was carried out and it was concluded that considerably more information on what samples had been analysed or examined for, whether they had been found to be satisfactory or unsatisfactory and if they were judged to be unsatisfactory, more detailed information on what was wrong was required.

It was recognised from the beginning that if the “Enhanced Outcomes Process” was to be workable and acceptable to laboratory staff much of the information would require to be allocated automatically through the Lims system with only the small amount of outcomes relating to unsatisfactory samples being set manually. In order to establish whether the Enhanced Outcomes Process would work in practice it was decided to upgrade the process as implemented in AIS-Lims and trial it in the four Scottish Public Analyst laboratories. As part of the implementation it was accepted that rather than allocate outcomes at sample level it was more practical to allocate them at individual determination level; consideration of labelling information was still retained at sample level as was a final satisfactory / unsatisfactory designation at sample level.

Although some minor issues were identified during the trial and detailed in the report 2 on it, it was accepted by the Public Analysts and other laboratory staff that the Enhanced Outcomes Process was workable and the additional time required to collect the information on unsatisfactory samples was balanced out by the time saved in not having to manually allocate outcomes to satisfactory ones.

One of the issues raised during the trial was the need to produce a guidance document so as clarify why a particular outcome should be allocated in a particular circumstance. Whilst such guidance would help to provide clarity and consistency across FSSUK it must be recognised that it remains voluntary and is not seeking to impose anything on individual Public Analysts, Food Examiners and others reporting on food enforcement samples.

2. Contents

3. Definitions

The following definitions apply to the operation of the Enhanced Outcomes Process:

Satisfactory – applied at sample level. This indicates that the sample has complied with the relevant standards for all tests applied to it and that any labelling information supplied with it is considered to be satisfactory.

Unsatisfactory – applied at sample level. This indicates that the sample has either failed to comply with the relevant standard for at least one of the tests applied to it or that any labelling information supplied with it is considered to be unsatisfactory.

Level 1 Outcome – applied at individual determination level for analytical tests and at sample level for labelling information. This is a top-level allocation of outcomes to allow general information on the sample to be determined. The level 1 outcome is represented by a single letter.

Level 2 Outcome – applied at individual determination level for analytical tests and at sample level for labelling information. This breaks down each level 1 outcome so as to provide more detailed information on the type of determination that has been performed on the sample or the area where labelling information is of concern. The level 2 outcome is represented by two numbers.

Level 3 Outcome – applied at individual determination level for analytical tests and at sample level for labelling information. For each level 2 outcome the level 3 outcome indicates whether the result complies with the relevant standard or, if it does not, what the nature of the failure is. The level 3 outcome is represented by two numbers.

Overall Outcome – applied at sample level. For each sample the overall outcome that is passed into the FSSUK database will consist of one or more outcome codes formed by concatenating together the one-letter level 1 outcome, the two-number level 2 outcome and the two-number level 3 outcome for each determination applied to the sample and for any labelling information that has been considered.

4. Level 1 Outcomes

The level 1 outcomes that are currently in use are:

Level 1 Outcome	Comments
A – Additive	Applied to any determination of an ingredient present in a food that has been added to serve a technological function. In most case the use of additives in foods is controlled by the appropriate statutory regulations
B – Constituent	Applied to any determination of the main compositional ingredients of a food. This should not be applied to ingredients of a food that are present more appropriately to serve the function of an additive or to enhance the nutritional value of the food.
C – Nutritional Component	Applied to any determination of an ingredient added to a food specifically to add to its nutritional value or to components of a food which relate directly to its nutritional quality.
D – Undesirable Substances	Applied to any determination of a component of a food that should not be present at any level or which should only be present at an acceptably low level.
E – Substitution	Applied to any determination which identifies the nature of the major component of a food such as the type of meat or fish present. This should not be applied to alcohol samples where the incorrect brand name has been used or where an inferior brand are being passed off as being a premium one.
L – Labelling	In most laboratories labelling is not treated as a determination that is performed on a sample but consideration of the labelling information provided with a sample is evaluated as a specific activity. For this reason labelling outcomes are recorded at the sample level. When labelling information is being considered its compliance with statutory requirements is considered in its entirety. It is not normal practice to consider, for example, whether or not the name of the food complies with requirements but not to consider whether or not the QUID declaration is satisfactory or not. For this reason specific labelling outcomes should normally only be recorded for aspects which do not comply with statutory requirements. It is to be inferred that all other labelling aspects have been considered and found to be satisfactory. Where the labelling of a sample has been evaluated and all aspects have been found to comply with statutory requirements there is a single outcome to record this fact.
M – Microbiology	Applied to any microbiological examination performed on a sample.
X – Radiation Monitoring	Radiation monitoring of food falls into two categories. The first is where the sample is examined for the level of radiation “naturally” present in the food and the second is to determine whether the food has been subjected to either a lawful or non-permitted irradiation process.
P – Additives – Animal Feed	Applied to the determination of an ingredient present in an animal feed that has been added to serve a technological function.
Q – Composition – Animal Feed	Applied to the determination of the main compositional ingredients of an animal feed. This is generally equivalent to the “Constituent” outcome for food but in order to record the information in the form required for the statistical examination of the analyses conducted on animal feed it requires to be a separate outcome.
R – Undesirable Substances – Animal Feed	Applied to any determination of a component of an animal feed that should not be present at any level or which should only be present at an acceptably low level. This is generally equivalent to the “Undesirable Substances” outcome for food but in order to record the information in the form required for the statistical examination of the analyses conducted on animal feed it requires to be a separate outcome.
Z – Other miscellaneous outcomes	This is to be used for determinations either on food or animal feed samples which cannot be more appropriately allocated to another outcome. This should be used for reportable “determinations” that record information on the sample such as nitrogen factor, date analysis started etc. However, apart for the information determinations this outcome should be used very sparingly as it should be possible to choose a more specific outcome. If it is thought that an analytical determination cannot be categorised other than as this outcome then this should be brought to the attention of the database administrator and either guidance will be provided or a new outcome may be created if appropriate. This outcome must not be used as a “rubbish bin”!

5. Level 2 Outcomes

The level 2 outcomes that are currently in use are:

Level 1 Outcome	Level 2 Outcome	Comments
A – Additive	01 - Antioxidant	Applied to any determination of an additive added to a food to serve the function of an antioxidant.
	02 – Colouring Matter	Applied to any determination of an additive added to a food to serve the function of a colouring agent.
	03 – Flavour Enhancer	Applied to any determination of an additive added to a food to serve the function of a flavour enhancer
	04 – Preservative	Applied to any determination of an additive added to a food to serve the function of a preservative.
	05 – Solvent	Applied to any determination of an additive added to a food to serve the function of a solvent
	06 – Sweetener	Applied to any determination of an additive added to a food to serve the function of a sweetener. This outcome should not be used for any type of sugar.
	99 – Other Additive	Applied to any determination of an additive added to a food to serve any technological function other than any of the six functions listed above.
B – Constituent	01 – Acidity	Applied to any determination of the fixed or volatile acidity of a food.
	02 – Alcohol	Applied to any determination of the alcohol (ethanol) content of a food and to any determination of other alcohols (congeners) in a food. This outcome should be used when the congener content of a sample indicates that it is not the brand of spirit drink indicated in the name of the food
	03 – Alkaloids	Applied to any determination of alkaloids such as caffeine or theobromine in a food.
	04 – Ash	Applied to any determination of the ash content of a food.
	05 – Casein	Applied to any determination of the casein content of a food.
	06 – Carbohydrate	Applied to any determination of the amount of carbohydrate or starch present in a food. This outcome should be applied whether the carbohydrate content has been determined analytically or by calculation. This outcome should not be applied to the determination of individual or total sugars in a food.
	07 – Egg	Applied to any determination of the egg content of a food.
	08 – Fat	Applied to any determination of the free or total fat content of a food.
	09 – Fatty Acids	Applied to any determination of the fatty acid profile of a food. This outcome should be applied to the determination of individual fatty acids and also to groupings of fatty acids such as saturates, unsaturates and polyunsaturates.
	10 – Fish Content	Applied to any determination or calculation of the fish content of a food. This outcome should be applied where the overall fish content has been calculated from a series of individual proximate determinations. Where the fish content of a food has been found to be unsatisfactory the use of this outcome should not prevent the outcome of individual proximate determinations also being marked as unsatisfactory. However, it is recognised that in some cases there may be no single proximate that is considered to be unsatisfactory but when the results are considered together then the overall fish content is unsatisfactory. An exception to this is where the fish content is not reported as a result but is expressed as an opinion in the comments applied to the food; in this circumstance one or more proximate determinations must be marked as unsatisfactory e.g. the fish content is too low because there is insufficient protein present or there is too much fat or moisture present.
	11 – Fruit Content	Applied to any determination or calculation of the fruit content of a food.
	12 – Gluten	Applied to any determination or calculation of the gluten content of a food.
	13 – Honey	Applied to any determination of the honey content of a food. This outcome should also be applied to any determination of characteristics specifically associated with assessing the quality of honey. It should also be used for the determination of the pollen type present in the honey.
	14 – Meat Content	Applied to any determination or calculation of the meat content of a food. This outcome should be applied where the overall meat content has been calculated from a series of individual proximate determinations. Where the meat content of a food has been found to be unsatisfactory the use of this outcome should not prevent the outcome of individual proximate determinations also being marked as unsatisfactory. However, it is recognised that in some cases there may be no single proximate that is considered to be unsatisfactory but when the results are considered together then the overall meat content is unsatisfactory. An exception to this is where the meat content is not reported as a result but is expressed as an opinion in the comments applied to the food; in this circumstance one or more proximate determinations must be marked as unsatisfactory e.g. the meat content is too low because there is insufficient protein present or there is too much fat or moisture present.
	15 – Milk Content	Applied to any determination of the milk content of a food. It should not be applied to the determination of specific components such as fat or antibiotics in milk.
	16 – Moisture	Applied to any determination of the moisture content of a food. It should not be applied to the determination of the adulteration of foods such as spirit drinks or milk by the addition of water.
	17 – Protein	Applied to any determination or calculation of the nitrogen content or protein content of a food.
	18 – Sterols	Applied to any determination of the sterol content of a food.
	19 – Sugar	Applied to any determination of individual sugars present in a food and also to the determination or calculation of the total sugar content of a food.
	20 – Added Water	Applied to any determination or calculation of the presence added water in a food such as spirit drinks or milk. This outcome should not be used for any determinations made on packaged water or water used in the preparation of food. Such samples are normally analysed along with other samples of drinking water and have separate and specific determinations.
	99 – Other Constituent	Applied to any determination of a constituent of a food not more specifically defined above.
C – Nutritional Component	01 – Chondroitin	Applied to any determination of the chondroitin content of a food.
	02 – Energy	Applied to any determination or calculation of the energy value of a food.
	03 – Fatty Acids	It requires to be re-considered whether there is sufficient difference between fatty acids (other than omega fatty acids) present in a food to enhance its nutritional quality and those present normally. If there is no difference then fatty acid profiles should be recorded under “Composition” and omega fatty acids in the appropriate outcome in this section. This outcome should then be retired.
	04 – Fibre	Applied to any determination or calculation of the crude fibre or dietary fibre content of a food.
	05 – Follate	Applied to any determination of the follate content of a food.
	06 – Glucosamine	Applied to any determination of the glucosamine content of a food.
	07 – Non-Metallic Elements	Applied to any determination of the amount of any non-metallic element or a compound of a non-metallic element in a food. This outcome should be used for the determination of sulphate, phosphate etc in food.
	08 – Nutrient Metals	Applied to any determination of metallic elements that are present to enhance the nutritional quality of a food. Some metals may be present in a food either to enhance its nutritional quality or as an undesirable substance; in most cases there will be a difference in the amount present depending on function and this will be clear by the units applied to the determination.
	09 – Omega Fatty Acids	Applied to any determination of the amount of omega fatty acids present in a food. This outcome should not be used for any other fatty acids or for general fatty acid profiles.
	10 – Sugars	It requires to be re-considered whether there is sufficient difference between sugars present in a food to enhance its nutritional quality and those present normally. If there is no difference then sugars should be recorded under “Composition”. This outcome should then be retired.
	11 – Vitamins	Applied to any determination of the amount of any vitamins present in a food.
	99 – Other Nutritional Components	Applied to any determination of a nutritional component of a food not more specifically defined above.
D – Undesirable Substances	01 – 3-MCPD	Applied to any determination of the amount of 3-MCPD present in a food.
	02 – Antibiotics	Applied to any determination of the amount of antibiotics present in a food.
	03 – Food Contact Materials	Applied to any determination of the amount of general or specific food contact materials present in a food.
	04 – Fungicide	Applied to any determination of the amount of any compound present in a food to serve the function of a fungicide. It should also be applied to determination of the metabolites and breakdown products of fungicides. As there is a vast array of fungicides, herbicides, insecticides and pesticides that may be detected in food these have been split accordingly. If there is any doubt as to the function of a specific compound or for general screening of a range of compounds then the pesticide outcome should be applied.
	05 – GMO	Applied to any determination of the amount of any genetically modified organism present in a food.
	06 – Trace and Heavy Metals	Applied to any determination of the amount of any trace or heavy metals present in a food. Some metals may be present in a food either to enhance its nutritional quality or as an undesirable substance; in most cases there will be a difference in the amount present depending on function and this will be clear by the units applied to the determination.
	07 – Herbicide	Applied to any determination of the amount of any compound present in a food to serve the function of a herbicide. It should also be applied to determination of the metabolites and breakdown products of herbicides. As there is a vast array of fungicides, herbicides, insecticides and pesticides that may be detected in food these have been split accordingly. If there is any doubt as to the function of a specific compound or for general screening of a range of compounds then the pesticide outcome should be applied.
	08 – Histamine	Applied to any determination of the amount of histamine present in a food.
	09 – Insecticide	Applied to any determination of the amount of any compound present in a food to serve the function of a insecticide. It should also be applied to determination of the metabolites and breakdown products of insecticides. As there is a vast array of fungicides, herbicides, insecticides and pesticides that may be detected in food these have been split accordingly. If there is any doubt as to the function of a specific compound or for general screening of a range of compounds then the pesticide outcome should be applied.
	10 – Mycotoxins	Applied to any determination of the amount of individual or total mycotoxins present in a food.
	11 – Non-Permitted Colour	Applied to any determination of the amount of colouring matter present in a food that is not permitted by statute to be present in that food.
	12 – PCB’s and Dioxins	Applied to any determination of the amount of PCB’s and dioxins present in a food.
	13 – Pesticide	Applied to any determination of the amount of any compound present in a food to serve the function of a pesticide. It should also be applied to determination of the metabolites and breakdown products of fungicides As there is a vast array of fungicides, herbicides, insecticides and pesticides that may be detected in food these have been split accordingly. If there is any doubt as to the function of a specific compound or for general screening of a range of compounds then the pesticide outcome should be applied.
	14 – THM	Applied to any determination of the amount of trihalo methanes present in a food (normally a packaged water or water used in the preparation of a food).
	15 – Alkaloids	Applied to any determination of alkaloids other than caffeine or theobromine in a food. Ergot derived alkaloids are an example here.
	16 – Anabolic Steroids	Determination of Anabolic Steroids in food supplements used by body builders. May also be used for determinations in any other food.
	99 – Other Undesirable Substances	Applied to any determination of undesirable substances present in a food not more specifically defined above.
E – S ubstitution	01 – Fish Identification	Applied where the species of fish present in the food has been identified and found either to comply with or differ from that declared in the name of the food or in the ingredient list.
	02 – Meat Identification	Applied where the species of meat present in the food has been identified and found either to comply with or differ from that declared in the name of the food or in the ingredient list.
	03 – Plant Identification	Applied where the type of plant material present in the food has been identified and found either to comply with or differ from that declared in the name of the food or in the ingredient list.
	99 – Other Substitution	Applied where any other ingredient or class of ingredients in a food has been identified and found either to comply with or differ from that declared in the name of the food or in the ingredient list. This outcome should not be used where a named brand of spirit drink has been found to differ from that given in the name of the food.
L – Labelling	01 – All Statutory Information	Applied where the labelling of the sample has been evaluated and all the information provided is deemed either to comply with statutory requirements or else that all the required information is absent. This outcome should not be used as a shortcut where much of the labelling information provided with a sample is not satisfactory; in such cases each specific failure to comply with the statutory requirements should be recorded. All the following outcomes should be used to note where an aspect of labelling information fails to comply with statutory requirements. There is not a need to note where specific aspects of labelling information are found to be satisfactory; where one or more aspects have been found not comply with statutory requirements then it is inferred that all other labelling aspects have been considered and found to be satisfactory
	02 – Name of the Food	Applied where the name of the food does not comply with statutory requirements.
	03 – Name and/or Address of Manufacturer	Applied where the name and/or address of the manufacturer, packer or seller of the food does not comply with statutory requirements.
	04 – Ingredients and Ingredients List	Applied where the ingredient list of the food or items within the list do not comply with statutory requirements.
	05 – Durability Indication	Applied where the indication of minimum durability of the food does not comply with statutory requirements.
	06 – Place of Origin	Applied where the place or origin or provenance of the food does not comply with statutory requirements.
	07 – Storage and/or Usage Instructions	Applied where any special storage conditions or conditions of use of the food do not comply with statutory requirements.
	08 – QUID Declaration	Applied where the QUID declaration of the quantity of certain ingredients or categories of ingredients in the food does not comply with statutory requirements.
	09 – Allergen Declaration	Applied where any required declaration of allergenic ingredients does not comply with statutory requirements.
	10 – Nutritional Declaration	Applied where any declaration of the nutritional composition of the food, whether this is provided compulsorily or voluntarily does not comply with statutory requirements. This outcome should not be used for claims as to the composition of the food e.g. “low fat”, “high in iron” etc.
	11 – Other Statutory or Compulsory Declaration	Applied where any aspect of labelling not more specifically defined does not comply with statutory requirements.
	12 –Compositional, Medicinal or Health Claim and Description of the Food	Applied where any claim relating to the composition of the food (“low fat”, “high in iron” etc.), medicinal benefits or health benefits and also any descriptions does not comply with statutory or other accepted requirements.
	13 – Manufacture and/or Expiry Date	Applied where the given manufacture date and/or expiry date are required but are missing or in the incorrect format.
	14 – Net Quantity	Applied where the declaration of net quantity does not comply with statutory requirements.
M – M icrobiology	01 – Aeromonas	Each of these outcomes should be applied to the determination of the relevant microbiological species or class of organism. With the exception of E Coli 0157 the outcomes have not been split into individual species so as not to make the list unworkably long and complex. The outcomes should be applied to both qualitative and quantitative tests.
	02 – Bacillus
	03 – Campylobacter
	04 – Clostridia
	05 – Coliforms
	06 – Cryptosporidia
	07 – E Coli
	08 – E Coli 0157
	09 – Enterobacteriaceae
	10 – Faecal Streptococci
	11 – Giardia
	12 – Lactobacillus
	13 – Legionella
	14 – Listeria
	15 – Mesophiles
	16 – Micrococci
	17 – Pseudomonas
	18 – Salmonella
	19 – Shigella
	20 – Somatic Cell Count
	21 – Staphylococci
	22 – Thermophiles
	23 – Thermoduric Bacteria
	24 – TVC
	25 – Vibrio
	26 – Yeast and Mould
	27 – Yersinia
	99 – Other Microbiology	Applied to any microbiological determination other than any of the specific species listed above.
X – Radiation Monitoring	01 – Radioactivity Monitoring	Any determination of the radiological activity present in a food.
	02 – Irradiated Foods	Any determination applied to determine whether or not a food has been subjected to an irradiation process.
P – Additives – Animal Feed	01 – Acidity regulators	Applied to any determination of an additive added to an animal feeding stuff to serve the function of an acidity regulator.
	02 – Antibiotics	Applied to any determination of an additive added to an animal feeding stuff to serve the function of an antibiotic.
	03 – Antioxidant substances	Applied to any determination of an additive added to an animal feeding stuff to serve the function of an antioxidant.
	04 – Binders + anti-caking agents + coagulants	Applied to any determination of an additive added to an animal feeding stuff to serve the function of a binder, anti-caking agent or a coagulant.
	05 – Bioproteins (unapproved)	Applied to any determination of an additive added to an animal feeding stuff to serve the function of a bioprotein which does not have approval for use.
	06 – Coccidiostats + other medicinal substances	Applied to any determination of an additive added to an animal feeding stuff to serve the function of a coccidostat or any other medicinal purpose.
	07 – Colourants, including pigments	Applied to any determination of an additive added to an animal feeding stuff to serve the function of a colouring agent.
	08 – Emulsifying + stabilizing + thickening + gelling substances	Applied to any determination of an additive added to an animal feeding stuff to serve the function of an emulsifier, stabiliser, thickening agent or gelling substance.
	09 – Enzymes	Applied to any determination of one or more enzymes added to an animal feeding stuff.
	10 – Flavouring + appetizing substances	Applied to any determination of an additive added to an animal feeding stuff to serve the function of a flavouring or an appetising substance.
	11 – Growth promoters	Applied to any determination of an additive added to an animal feeding stuff to serve the function of a growth promoter.
	12 – Micro-organisms	Applied to any determination of a microbiological additive added to an animal feeding stuff. This outcome should not be used for the routine microbiological examination of a feeding stuff.
	13 – Preservatives	Applied to any determination of an additive added to an animal feeding stuff to serve the function of a preservative.
	14 – Radionuclide binders	Applied to any determination of an additive added to an animal feeding stuff to serve the function of a radionuclide binder.
	15 – Trace elements	Applied to any determination of trace element added to an animal feeding stuff in order to enhance its nutritional value.
	16 – Vitamins + pro-vitamins + substances with similar effect	Applied to any determination of a vitamin, pro-vitamin or similar substance added to an animal feeding stuff.
	99 – Other additives	Applied to any determination of an additive added to an animal feeding stuff to serve any technological function other than any of the specific functions listed above.
Q – Composition – Animal Feed	01 – Protein and nitrogen	Applied to any determination or calculation of the nitrogen content or protein content of an animal feeding stuff.
	02 – Amino acids	Applied to any determination of individual amino acids present in an animal feeding stuff..
	03 – Nutrient Metals	Applied to any determination of metallic elements that are present to enhance the nutritional quality of an animal feeding stuff. Some metals may be present in a feed either to enhance its nutritional quality or as an undesirable substance; in most cases there will be a difference in the amount present depending on function and this will be clear by the units applied to the determination.
	04 – Sugars and starch	Applied to any determination or calculation of individual sugars present in an animal feeding stuff or the amount of starch or carbohydrate material present.
	05 – Other elements and compounds	Applied to any determination of the amount of any non-metallic element or a compound of a non-metallic element in an animal feeding stuff that is included so as to enhance the nutritional quality of the feed. This outcome should be used for the determination of sulphate, phosphate etc in an animal feeding stuff. It should not be used for the determination of the salt content of a feed (even if this is calculated from the chloride content).
	06 – Moisture and ash	Applied to any determination of the moisture or ash content of an animal feeding stuff.
	07 – Fibre	Applied to any determination of the fibre content of an animal feeding stuff.
	08 – Oils and fats	Applied to any determination of oil or fat content of an animal feeding stuff.
	09 – Sodium and salt	Applied to any determination or calculation of sodium or salt content of an animal feeding stuff. This outcome should be used even where the salt content of the feed has been calculated from the chloride content.
	10 – GMOs	Applied to any determination of any genetically modified organism in an animal feeding stuff.
	11 – Labelling	It is not normal practice to examine the labelling of animal feeding stuffs; in many cases none will be available. For this reason it is not necessary to have a separate Level 1 outcome for the labelling of animal feeding stuffs nor to have several Level 2 outcomes. This single outcome should be applied for any deficiencies noted in the labelling of animal feeding stuffs such as pre-packed pet foods.
	99 – Other compositional ingredients	Applied to any determination of a compositional ingredient of an animal feeding stuff not more specifically defined above.
R – Undesirable Substances – Animal Feed	01 – Heavy metals	Applied to any determination of the amount of any trace or heavy metals present in a food. Some metals may be present in a feed either to enhance its nutritional quality or as an undesirable substance; in most cases there will be a difference in the amount present depending on function and this will be clear by the units applied to the determination.
	02 – Other elements and ions	Applied to any determination of the amount of any non-metallic element or a compound of a non-metallic element in an animal feeding stuff that is not included so as to enhance the nutritional quality of the feed.
	03 – Dioxins and PCB’s	Applied to any determination of the amount of PCB’s and dioxins present in an animal feeding stuff.
	04 – Pesticides	Applied to any determination of the amount of any compound present in an animal feeding stuff to serve the function of a pesticide (including fungicides, herbicides and insecticides).
	05 – Mycotoxins	Applied to any determination of the amount of individual or total mycotoxins present in an animal feeding stuff.
	06 – Micro-organisms	The microbiological quality of animal feeding stuffs is not examined as routinely as for food. For this reason it is not necessary to have a separate Level 1 outcome for the microbiological examination of animal feeding stuffs nor to have several Level 2 outcomes. This single outcome should be applied for any microbiological examination of animal feeding stuffs.
	07 – Seeds and fruits	Applied to any determination of the presence of seeds or fruit that are considered to be deleterious to the quality of an animal feeding stuff.
	08 – Processed animal protein	Applied to any determination of processed animal protein present in an animal feeding stuff.
	99 – Other undesirable substances	Applied to any determination of an undesirable substance present in an animal feeding stuff not more specifically defined above.
Z – Other Mi scellaneous Outcomes	99 – Other Miscellaneous Outcomes	This is to be used for determinations either on food or animal feed samples which cannot be more appropriately allocated to another outcome. This should be used for reportable “determinations” that record information on the sample such as nitrogen factor, date analysis started etc. Such determinations will always have a “Satisfactory” level 3 outcome allocated. However, apart for the information determinations this outcome should be used very sparingly as it should be possible to choose a more specific outcome. If it is thought that an analytical determination cannot be categorised other than as this outcome then this should be brought to the attention of the database administrator and either guidance will be provided or a new outcome may be created if appropriate. This outcome must not be used as a “rubbish bin”!

6. Level 3 Outcomes

The level 3 outcomes that are currently in use are:

Level 1 Outcomes	Level 3 Outcome	Comments
A – Additive B – Constituent C – Nutritional Component D – Undesirable Substances E – Substitution X – Radiation Monitoring	00 – Satisfactory	Applied when a determination performed on a food is deemed to comply with any relevant statutory limits, standards set by any appropriate code of practice or where the results are considered to meet any standards considered relevant by the Public Analyst reporting on the sample. This includes any standards applied by the Public Analyst that, in his/her opinion, are appropriate.
	01 – Above Numerical Limit or Standard	Applied when the result of a quantitative analysis, taking into account any measurement uncertainty, is in excess of any relevant statutory limit, standard set by any appropriate code of practice or where the results are considered to exceed any standard considered relevant by the Public Analyst reporting on the sample.
	02 – Below Numerical Limit or Standard	Applied when the result of a quantitative analysis, taking into account any measurement uncertainty, is below any relevant statutory limit, standard set by any appropriate code of practice or where the results are considered below any standard considered relevant by the Public Analyst reporting on the sample.
	03 – Present but not permitted	Applied when the result of a quantitative or qualitative analysis indicates that a substance is present when that substance is not permitted to be present in that food. For example, this would be applied where a non-permitted colouring matter is determined either quantitatively or qualitatively.
	04 – Present	Applied to the result of a qualitative analysis when the substance being determined is found to be present.
	05 – Absent	Applied to the result of a qualitative analysis when the substance being determined is found to be absent.
L – Labelling	80 – Satisfactory	Applied when all the labelling information present on a food is considered to comply with statutory requirements and any other standards that are considered appropriate by the Public Analyst reporting on the sample.
	81 – Absent / Not Declared	Applied when any information that is required to be present on a sample is not present.
	82 – False or Misleading	Applied when any information that is required to be present on a food is factually incorrect or is presented in such a manner as to make an intending purchaser believe that some aspect of the food is other than it truly is.
	83 – Not Sufficiently Precise	Applied when any information that is required to be present on a food, whilst not being factually incorrect or presented in such a manner as to deliberately mislead is not sufficiently precise to indicate the true nature of the food. For example, this outcome should be used when the statutory name applied to a food is not sufficiently precise to inform an intending purchased of the true nature of the food and to allow it to be distinguished from other foods with which it might be confused.
	84 – Interrupted by Other Information	Applied when any information that is required to be present on a food as a single statement is interrupted by pictures or other text.
	85 – Incorrect Format	Applied when any information that is required to be present on a food is not presented in the format that it is required to be. For example this outcome should be used when the ingredient list is not headed by the word “Ingredients” or similar or the individual ingredient names are not presented in the required manner.
	86 – Incorrect Units	Applied when any numerical information that is required to be present on a food does not have the correct units associated with it. For example this outcome would be used when nutritional information was not presented in the required manner with the units specified by statute.
	87 - Present - not permitted/not required	Applied when any information is present but is not required or is not permitted.
M – Microbiology	20 – Satisfactory	Applied when a determination performed on a food is deemed to comply with any relevant statutory limits, standards set by any appropriate code of practice or where the results are considered to meet any standards considered relevant by the Public Analyst or Food Examiner reporting on the sample. This includes any standards applied by the Public Analyst or Food Examiner that, in his/her opinion, are appropriate.
	21 – RTE Guidelines – Acceptable	This classification of results is no longer used in the latest version of the RTE Guidelines so this outcome has been retired
	22 – RTE Guidelines – Borderline	Applied when the food has been assessed for compliance against the Guidelines for Assessing the Microbiological Safety of Ready-to-Eat Foods Placed on the Market issued by the Health Protection Agency (the RTE Guidelines) and the result of the determination, taking into account any measurement uncertainty, has been found to meet the “Borderline” standard specified in those Guidelines.
	23 – RTE Guidelines – Unsatisfactory	Applied when the food has been assessed for compliance against the Guidelines for Assessing the Microbiological Safety of Ready-to-Eat Foods Placed on the Market issued by the Health Protection Agency (the RTE Guidelines) and the result of the determination, taking into account any measurement uncertainty, has been found to meet the “Unsatisfactory” standard specified in those Guidelines. This outcome should not be used when pathogenic organisms are present that render the food potentially injurious to health and/or unfit for human consumption
	24 – RTE Guidelines – Unsatisfactory: Potentially injurious to health and/or unfit for human consumption - Pathogenic Organism Present	Applied when the food has been assessed for compliance against the Guidelines for Assessing the Microbiological Safety of Ready-to-Eat Foods Placed on the Market issued by the Health Protection Agency (the RTE Guidelines) and the result of the determination, taking into account any measurement uncertainty, has been found to meet the “Unsatisfactory: Potentially injurious to health and/or unfit for human consumption” standard specified in those Guidelines due to the presence of pathogenic organisms.
	25 – Food Hygiene Regulations – Exceeds Numerical Standard; EMP	Applied when the food has been assessed for compliance with the requirements of the Food Hygiene Regulations and the result of the determination, taking into account any measurement uncertainty, has been found to exceed the appropriate numerical standard for a food that is at the end of the manufacturing process.
	26 - Food Hygiene Regulations – Exceeds Numerical Standard; DSL	Applied when the food has been assessed for compliance with the requirements of the Food Hygiene Regulations and the result of the determination, taking into account any measurement uncertainty, has been found to exceed the appropriate numerical standard for a food that is examined during its specified shelf life.
	27 - Food Hygiene Regulations – Pathogenic Organism Present; EMP	Applied when the food has been assessed for compliance with the requirements of the Food Hygiene Regulations and is found to have pathogenic organisms present. This outcome should be applied when the food has been examined at the end of the manufacturing process.
	28 - Food Hygiene Regulations – Pathogenic Organism Present; DSL	Applied when the food has been assessed for compliance with the requirements of the Food Hygiene Regulations and is found to have pathogenic organisms present. This outcome should be applied when the food has been examined at the end of the manufacturing process.
	29 – Unsatisfactory – Reason not Specified	Applied when the food has been examined and found to be microbiologically unsatisfactory but the reason for this has not been specified. This outcome must not be used when the food has been assessed for compliance against the RTE Guidelines or the Food Hygiene Regulations.
P – Additives – Animal Feed Q – Composition– Animal Feed R – Undesirable Substances – Animal Feed	40 – Satisfactory	Applied when all the determinations performed on an animal feeding stuff are deemed to comply with any relevant statutory limits, standards set by any appropriate code of practice or where the results are considered to meet any standards considered relevant by the Public Analyst or Agricultural Analyst reporting on the sample. This includes any standards applied by the Public Analyst or Agricultural Analyst that, in his/her opinion, are appropriate.
	41 – Above maximum permitted level or standard	Applied when the result of a quantitative analysis, taking into account any measurement uncertainty, is in excess of any relevant statutory limit, standard set by any appropriate code of practice or where the results are considered to exceed any standard considered relevant by the Public Analyst or Agricultural Analyst reporting on the sample.
	42 – Below maximum permitted level or standard	Applied when the result of a quantitative analysis, taking into account any measurement uncertainty, is below any relevant statutory limit, standard set by any appropriate code of practice or where the results are considered to exceed any standard considered relevant by the Public Analyst or Agricultural Analyst reporting on the sample.
	43 – Above action threshold	Applied when the result of a quantitative determination of a pesticide, taking into account any measurement uncertainty, is in excess of the action threshold specified in the relevant legislation.
	44 – Below action threshold	Applied when the result of a quantitative determination of a pesticide, taking into account any measurement uncertainty, below the action threshold specified in the relevant legislation.
	45 – Above recommended level	Applied when the result of a quantitative determination of a pesticide, taking into account any measurement uncertainty, is in excess of the recommended level specified in the relevant legislation.
	46 – Below recommended level	Applied when the result of a quantitative determination of a pesticide, taking into account any measurement uncertainty, is below the recommended level specified in the relevant legislation.
	47 – Present	Applied to the result of a qualitative analysis when the substance being determined is found to be present.
	48 – Absent	Applied to the result of a qualitative analysis when the substance being determined is found to be absent.

1: Outcomes Table Review Final Report – July 2008, Norman D Michie
2: Trial of Enhanced Outcomes Process Final Report – October 2009, Norman D Michie