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Secretariat
July 2022
Scientific Advisory Committees (SAC) Summary of recent activities
This document summarises the recent activity of the FSA’s Scientific Advisory Committees (SACs). We highlight topics discussed at the most recent meeting and agenda items for the next meeting.
Science Council
Updated 5th July 2022
Last open meeting
23 June 2022
- The Chair presented a summary of the Science Council’s activity over the last 6 months.
- The CSA updated the Council on his recent activity and discussions (including the Annual Report for Food Standards, Civil Service headcount reduced, Precision Breeding Bill, alternative proteins).
- An update on Working Group 6 on Food Safety and Net Zero Carbon (including final draft of the interim report).
- Updates from Science Council members attending Scientific Advisory Committees (SACs).
Next open meeting
8 December 2022
Chair Professor Sandy Thomas
Contact for Science Council Secretariat
Link to Science Council Website
Advisory Committee for Social Science (ACSS)
Updated June 2022
Last meeting
26th Jan 2022 (8th plenary, open session).
Key agenda items
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FSA updated on key projects within the Analytics Unit, including new work programmes: Behavioural Trials and Wider Consumer interests.
Updates on working group activity
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A proposal for an economics working group was discussed.
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Update from Prof. Sandy Thomas on working group outputs from the Science Council, and recruitment.
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Strategy team presented the emerging FSA strategy and the ACSS secretariat reported an initial assessment of how well ACSS expertise, and the FSA social science research plan, address key strategy topics.
Minutes and papers are available on the website.
Working group highlights
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The Climate Change and Consumer Behaviour working group held a second stage workshop with stakeholders in February, as part of their work exploring the impact of changes in consumer behaviour motivated by climate change concerns. A full report is anticipated for publication in July.
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The Assurance working group are supporting the development of a ‘good science’ quality assurance toolkit to support the production of high-quality research.
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The Kitchen Life 2 working group continues to support the research project Kitchen Life 2.
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The Wider Consumer Interests working group continues to support this new ARI, informing the recent publication: UK Public’s Interests, Needs and Concerns Around Food.
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Terms of reference for a new working group supporting the economics function in the FSA analytics unit, have been agreed.
The next open meeting of the ACSS will be 20th July 2022.
Chair: Professor Susan Michie
Contact for ACSS Secretariat
Link to ACSS Website
Advisory Committee on Novel Foods and Processes (ACNFP)
Updated June 2022
Last meeting
8th June 2022
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Tetradenia riparia (Iboza), a traditional food from a third country was reviewed for the first time. Several aspects of the food and its production were highlighted as having insufficient information to complete an assessment. These will be highlighted to risk managers for consideration on whether reasoned safety objections should be raised triggering further review.
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2 dossiers from the same applicant; Lacto-N-fucopentaose I (LNFP-I) and 2'-fucosyllactose (2' FL) mixture (LNFP-I/2'-FL) and 3-Fucosyllactose were reviewed for the first time, with the first requiring a request for more info and the latter progressing to an opinion draft.
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The Mung Bean protein dossier returned for further assessment with a request for further information regarding outstanding issues on allergenicity being advised once again.
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Two previous protein applications; Barley Rice and Mung bean were reviewed once again. A request for opinions to be drafted for both was advised. The Committee subsequently evaluated the approach to opinions for Novel Foods seeing that these 2 opinions will the first of opinions to be drafted since the UK’s departure from the EU.
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The application for Calcidiol was evaluated for the third time with data not sufficient to progress the application. Further information requested.
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The annual report for 2021 was also discussed with conclusion that re-evaluation was needed in how data is presented so as to capture the full extent of work covered with the commencement of assessing full applications again.
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The Science Council reported on areas identified that would be relevant to the ACNFP and their future assessment work on Food Safety and Net Zero Carbon.
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Under AOB, an agreement was sought to formally appoint the Chair for the GM/GE sub-group. Dr Andy Greenfield who was put forward by the Secretariat and members of the ACNFP asked for comments or objections; none were raised, and he was subsequently welcomed as the Chair of the GM/GE subgroup.
Next meeting
7th September 2022
Chair: Dr Camilla Alexander-White
Contact for ACNFP Secretariat
Link to ACNFP Website
Advisory Committee on the Microbiological Safety of Food (ACMSF)
Updated 8 June 2022
The Committee’s last meeting was on 09 February 2022. The issues they considered include:
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Pathogen Surveillance in Agriculture, Food and the Environment (PATH-SAFE): The committee received a presentation and discussed this project commissioned to track foodborne pathogens and antimicrobial resistant microbes in all four nations of the UK.
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Food Standards Agency’s Kitchen Life 2 Project. The committee was updated on the FSA’s ongoing study on food safety behaviour in kitchens.
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100th Meeting of the ACMSF – Reflections. Members reflected on the work of the committee over the years and had a forward look discussion on future work areas.
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UK Food Security Report 2021 (published in December 2021). The committee discussed this report focussing on chapter related to foodborne disease and incidents.
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FSA surveys on frozen breaded/battered chicken products. The committee was updated on the survey of Salmonella, E. coli and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) on frozen part-cooked breaded or battered products at retail sale in the UK and social science survey on consumer handling of frozen breaded products. This item was considered in closed session.
Subgroup updates
The subgroups on toxin-producing Clostridia in food, incidents and antimicrobial resistance provided updates on their activities (see draft meeting minutes below).
Draft minutes of the February 2022 meeting is available on the committee’s website.
The committee has recently set up a subgroup on animal feed. Group was established to review risk assessments produced by Animal and Plant Health Agency on the risk of introducing Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies (TSEs) into UK livestock from proposed changes to animal feed regulations. This ACMSF subgroup will be disbanded when the Advisory Committee of Animal Feedingstuffs is reactivated.
Information papers sent to members include:
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Botulism in cattle, sheep and goats literature update (available on request)
Next meeting
23rd June 2022 (this will be a horizon scanning workshop).
Chair: Professor Bill Keevil
Contact for ACMSF Secretariat
Link to ACMSF Website
Advisory Committee on Animal Feeding stuffs (ACAF)
Updated N/A
Last meeting
27th June 2019
Chair: N/A
Contact for ACAF Secretariat
Link to ACAF Website
Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment (COT)
Updated May 2022
Last meeting
10th May 2022
Topics discussed included
At their May meeting the Committee discussed items including the potential risk from exposure to microplastics by the inhalation route, potential approaches to mixture risk assessment for future UK REACH assessments and a paper introducing a proposed update to the COT statement on the cabin air environment. They also heard a presentation on the regulation of food contact materials.
The Committee continued work on draft statements considering the potential effects of vitamin D exposure levels in formula fed infants and children and lead in the maternal diet.
Next meeting
12th July 2022
Chair: Professor Alan Boobis
Contact for COT Secretariat
Link to COT Website
Committee on Carcinogenicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment (COC)
Updated April 2022
Last meeting
2 March 2022
Topics on the agenda
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Hydroxyanthracene derivatives in supplements
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Horizon scanning
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Annual report
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Update to guidance statements including biomarkers, interpretation of cancer risk characterisation and alternative approaches
Next meeting
21 July 2022
Further meetings
17 November 2022
Chair: Professor David Harrison
Contact for COC Secretariat
Link to COC Website
The Committee on Mutagenicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment (COM)
Updated in April 2022
Last meeting
1 March 2022
Topics discussed
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Review of EFSA opinion on titanium dioxide
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Hydroxyanthracene derivatives in supplements
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Horizon scanning
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BPA
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Smoke flavourings
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Draft COC guidance statement “The Use of Biomarkers in Carcinogenic Risk Assessment
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Draft COC, COM and COT document “How do the Committees evaluate the relevance and reliability of data when assessing a chemical of concern?”
Next meeting
9 June 2022
Further meetings
13 October 2022
Chair: Prof Gareth Jenkins
Contact for COM Secretariat
Link to COM Website
Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN)
Updated: March 2022
Last meeting
10th November
Topics discussed included
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Feeding children aged 1-5
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Nutrition and COVID
Next meeting
Friday 17th June 2022
Further meetings
Friday 11th Nov 2022
Chair: Professor Ian Young
Contact for SACN Secretariat
Link to SACN Website