If you drink an Irish bottled water, it has probably been tested for contamination by an Irish firm, City Analysts Ltd. This UCD campus-based company is experiencing rapid growth because of greater public awareness and concern about food safety, according to its founder and company director, Dr Alan Shattock.

The firm was established in April 1997, and began trading in July of that year. "The simplest way to describe what our work involves is we do any testing to do with the environment," he says.

City Analysts undertakes testing services for all the State's local authorities, he adds, and all the Irish water companies.

It tests sea water at bathing locations for contamination and it also tests foodstuffs. In effect, the company will test any sample for any substance. "We even do fungal work as well," Dr Shattock says.

The company arose directly out of research being undertaken by Dr Shattock's group at UCD. He and co-researchers Ms Miriam Byrne, Ms Maura Quinn and Ms Mary Hyland were looking at a particular bacterium, Cryptosporidium, which is particularly dangerous and which can infect water supplies. "We knew it was here but we didn't know to what level. It is not easily treatable and it takes very few to infect you," Dr Shattock says.

The group devised its own test for the organism. At the time there was no testing centre in the State for the bacterium and this service was being provided by a company in Scotland. The scientists also found that no single company in the Republic was doing all the various tests for bacteria, viruses or chemical pollutants in either water or foodstuffs. City Analysts was established soon after and it is now based in UCD's Biotechnology Centre.

The firm quickly won back the Cryptosporidium contract from Scotland and now tests the water of all the local authorities in the State for the bacterium. Dr Shattock would not name his firm's total client base, saying that it includes many food companies and these were very sensitive about the public's perception of their products.

The test, he says, works for "anybody who uses water but who is worried about contamination", adding that "anything to do with potential pollution or analysis of a company's products or materials is sensitive".

The company can develop tests on a contract basis for clients or can offer ongoing testing services. "We offer advisory services and research and development methods as well in collaboration with other people. Nearly all of our clients are repeat companies. It is a diverse client base." The research activity is central to the company's success, Dr Shattock says. "Research is important to the company. A substantial proportion of our time has been directed at research, getting things right and developing new methods."

The company is currently developing a direct test for Weil's Disease, caused by the organism Leptospyrosis and spread by rats. City Analysts has four directors and eight part-time staff. "We will be doubling our full-time employees next year," Dr Shattock says, adding that he expects the current strong demand for his company's services to continue. "The growth has been phenomenal. It has really blossomed, the reason being all of the new EU and national requirements." Dr Shattock also cites growing public awareness. "The public is much more aware of storage life, pollution and contamination. That is why a company like ours is able to supply these requirements," Dr Shattock says.