COT 2021 meeting notes
Last updated: 21 December 2021
At their February meeting the Committee discussed items including the allergenicity of chitin and chitosan based BBFCMs, the potential risks from mycotoxins, and the prioritisation of dietary components and xenobiotics to be considered for their effects on maternal health. In addition, the committee discussed the PBPK for Regulators Workshop Report (currently reserved) as well as variable lifetime exposure and the potential effects that excess vitamin D intake could have during preconception, pregnancy and lactation.
The committee commented on the draft EFSA Scientific Committee Opinion on biological plausibility of non-monotonic dose responses and their impact on the risk assessment. The Committee also considered the draft Annual Report, actions taken subsequent to COT advice and undertook some horizon scanning.
At their March meeting the Committee discussed items including the potential effects of excess iodine intake during preconception, pregnancy and lactation, as well as development of human biomonitoring guidance values in the HBM4EU biomonitoring project.
The Committee also reviewed the draft SETE report on the synthesis and integration of epidemiological and toxicological evidence in risk assessments and commented the first draft non-technical COC statement on how the Committees evaluate the relevance and reliability of data when assessing a chemical of concern.
The Committee discussed an update to the COT Position paper on the potential risk of CBD in CBD food products to include dermal and inhalation exposure.
At their May meeting the Committee discussed several items to their work on the maternal diet and health: these included the potential effects of ginger and ginger supplements and of excess vitamin D intake in pregnancy, and the prioritisation of further dietary components and xenobiotics including alcohol and ginger.
The committee also reviewed the proposed addendum to their statement on the potential toxicological risks from nicotine and non-nicotine e-cigarettes to include the pharmacokinetics of nicotine salts, and a summary of data on the bioavailability of nicotine and other ingredients from the use of oral nicotine pouches and assessment of risk to users.
The committee continued to work on the draft COT principles for assessing risks from less than lifetime exposure or variable exposure over a lifetime.
At their July meeting the Committee discussed items including the alternatives to conventional plastics for food & drinks packaging, including the potential human health risks of bamboo bio-composites in food contact materials. They also reviewed the recent EFSA opinion on titanium dioxide.
The committee also reviewed the Draft EFSA Scientific Committee Opinion on the scientific criteria for grouping chemicals into assessment groups for the human risk assessment of combined exposure to multiple chemicals. In addition they looked at UK new approach methodologies roadmap.
The committee continued to work on the second draft statement on PFAS, the draft SETE report on the synthesis and integration of epidemiological and toxicological evidence in risk assessments and the substatement on the potential risks from exposure to microplastics (oral route).
At their September meeting the Committee discussed items including the sub-statement on the potential risks from oral exposure to microplastics (this paper was postponed from the July meeting) and a Public Consultation on Code of Practice for Scientific Advisory Committees and Councils.
They also reviewed a discussion paper on the potential effects of excess Vitamin A on maternal health and continued to work on the draft statement addressing the potential effects of excess Vitamin D intake may have during preconception, pregnancy and lactation.
The Committee finalised their interim position paper discussing the recent EFSA opinion on titanium dioxide.
At their October meeting the Committee discussed items including an update on the safety of ginger supplement use in pregnancy, further information on the potential health risks of bamboo food contact materials and part 1 of a discussion paper on the risk assessment of cow’s milk in children aged 1 to 5 years, in the context of the previous evaluation of plant based drinks. The Committee also finalised the draft statement on Vitamin D and the potential effects that excess vitamin D intake may have during preconception, pregnancy and lactation and the sub-statement on the potential risk(s) from exposure to microplastics via the oral route.
At their December meeting the Committee discussed items including topic proposals for a COT workshop in March 2022, part 2 of a discussion paper on the risk assessment of cow’s milk in children aged 1 to 5 years, in the context of the previous evaluation of plant based drinks and two Reserved items: Smoke flavourings reauthorisations and a discussion paper on vitamin D exposure levels in formula fed infants.
The Committee continued their work on maternal health, reviewing the first draft of a statement on the effects of excess Vitamin A on maternal health and a discussion paper on the potential risks from cadmium in the maternal diet.
Also the Committee reviewed an interim paper on the potential health risks of bamboo food contact materials and the EFSA draft opinion and exposure protocol open for public consultation on Phthalates.