The Central Laboratory for Veterinary Services (LCSV) is the first-line laboratory in the area of food safety for the Departmental Directorates for the Protection of Populations (DDPPs) in the Île-de-France region. It conducts official control analyses in accordance with agreements signed with the Paris Police Prefecture and the relevant DDPPs, and under approvals granted by the Directorate General for Food (DGAL). These analyses may be in connection with investigations into foodborne illness outbreaks, food checks at borders (Border Veterinary and Phytosanitary Inspection Service) and any other official regulatory checks. The LCSV consists of a unit with the same name and a number of subunits.

The unit carries out bacteriological analyses (excluding Vibrio) and also acts as the gateway to the subunits. These carry out other types of analysis: detection of viruses and Vibrio, characterisation of isolated bacterial strains, quantification of different chemical contaminants, and detection and identification of parasites. These subunits are integrated with units of ANSES’s laboratories for food safety and animal health. 

The unit has been accredited by the French Accreditation Committee (COFRAC) since 2009 for all conventional microbiology analyses in accordance with the NF EN ISO 17025 standard (LAB GTA 59 programme covering 25 parameters) and under approvals granted by the DGAL.

To meet the expectations of the DDPPs, particularly in terms of responsiveness, the LCSV has updated its catalogue of services by accrediting new methods that have been validated either internally or externally.