Tayside Scientific Services is an essentially autonomous section within the Support Services department of Dundee City Council and is jointly funded by Angus and Perth & Kinross Councils, for whom they provide comprehensive Public Analyst and related services as well as providing an analytical testing service to other public bodies and the private sector.

Public Analysts are highly skilled scientists who make up the front line of the UK's public protection service where chemical analysis and related tests are needed. The Public Analyst works to ensure the health and safety of the public in relation to food standards and safety, environmental matters and consumer protection. More information on the Public Analyst can be obtained at the public analyst website.

At Tayside Scientific Services, as well as a comprehensive range of food chemical testing and microbiological examination, they also offer a wide range of testing on animal feeding stuffs, fertilisers, potable waters, and leachates as well as toy safety testing, testing of other consumer products and asbestos identification. They hold UKAS accreditation for most of the tests (their schedule can be accessed at the link) and those tests for which UKAS accreditation is not held are performed to similar high standards.

As part of their ongoing commitment to improving quality of services Tayside Scientific Services relocated in September 2007 to a purpose built laboratory in the heart of Dundee's Scientific Campus.

The building represents a capital investment of £2.25 million in providing state of the art facilities to support and develop services in the local community.

Management recognise that providing quality Scientific Services in Tayside requires dedicated staff. The new building reflects the value of staff in providing exemplary working and welfare facilities. 

The accuracy of test results produced by their laboratory is fundamental to them. Precision analysis undertaken to reputable and internationally recognised standards of accreditation is paramount to our service. Tayside Scientific Services  fully appreciate that their Local Authorities rely upon this accuracy of results to assist in their enforcement role.

They are an Official Food Control Laboratory (OCL), a requirement for the enforcement of the Food Safety Act 1990, and currently satisfy the requirements to become an official testing laboratory for the enforcement of animal feeding stuffs, which will be formalised by the end of the year.

They assist their clients in fulfilling some of the obligations required of them by the Food Standards Agency with respect to focussed, risk based sampling food and animal feeding stuffs programmes, which include sampling to support the Food Standards Agency's salt reduction and saturated fat campaigns, as well as other initiatives.