February 2025

Paper for Information. 

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.

Scientific Advisory Committees (SAC) Summary of recent activities

Science Council

Updated: October 2024.

Last open meeting: March 2024.

Summary

• Workshop with experts to discuss the “Future of Food Safety” and shortlist 51 key questions within the FSA strategy to deliver food consumers can trust. By this we mean a food system in which:
• Food is safe
• Food is what it says it is
• Food is healthier and more sustainable
• The report of this workshop will be published in the first quarter of 2025.

Next open meeting: March 2025.

Interim Chair: Professor John O'Brien.

Secretariat: sciencecouncil@food.gov.uk

Website: science-council.food.gov.uk

Advisory Committee for Social Science (ACSS)

Updated: November 2024.

Last meeting: 9th July 2024.

Last meeting: 9th July (13^th plenary), key discussion items included: maximising the impact of the Kitchen Life 2 project, the biennial FSA business tracker survey, the evidence base for assessing the impact of regulatory reform, and, understanding changes to, and drivers of, trust in the food system.

 Four working groups are currently active, supporting the development of a range of research activity, from the evidence behind the 2024/25 Spending Review business case, to supporting changes to the FSA consumer monitoring surveys. The wider consumer interests working group has recently completed a piece of work outlining the available evidence around consumer knowledge, beliefs and practises around UPFs, Executive Summary | Advisory Committee for Social Science. 

The next open meeting (14^th Plenary) of the ACSS will be an in person meeting in March 2025.  

Chair: Julie Hill.

Secretariat: acss@food.gov.uk

Website: acss.food.gov.uk

Advisory Committee on Novel Foods and Processes (ACNFP)

Updated: 19^th Dec 2024.

Last meeting 169th : 20^th Nov 2024

• Constructive meeting of the full committee to explore the way forward for a number of ongoing applications. Committee Advice Documents were refined for 3 applications: 1 returning novel food and 2 new CBD applications (to be reviewed by members and completed by chairs action) and 1 new novel food application undergoing assessment and requiring further information form the applicant and an internal consultation on genotoxicity and 2 CBD
• Discussions were held to finalise the scope and terms of reference for a new ACNFP subgroup on cell cultivated products (ACNFP-CCP). The subgroup will be supporting the FSA in testing out new types of assessment for cell cultivated products as part of a government sponsored regulatory sandbox project in this new area of food innovation. An open session will be held in February to inform the subgroup’s work which will start in February 2025 for a 2-year duration.

Next meeting: 5^th, 6^th February 2025 (Hybrid).

Products of Genetic Technologies Subcommittee (PGT)

PGT Subcommittee

Updated: 16th December 2024. 

Last PGT meeting: 11^th December 2024.  

Highlight: Constructive meeting where advice was received on the assessment of three returning GM applications (oilseed rapes RP2065 and RP1745, maize RP2044) and a new one (oilseed rape RP2029). The additional expert advice from a fish veterinarian was received.

The Subcommittee identified where further information from the applicant was needed to complete the safety assessment of RP1745; applications RP2056, RP2044 and RP2029 will be presented to ACNFP together with their draft Committee Advice Documents in February 2025.

The Subcommittee also discussed alternative routes for the safety assessment of another GMO.

Next meeting (PGT18): 4^th March 2025.

Advisory Committee on Novel Foods and Processes and Committee on Toxicity on CBD and Hemp Derived Products

CBD Subgroup

Updated: 12th November 2024.

 Last CBD meeting: 6^th November 2024.

Highlight:  A successful meeting in which members progressed the wider cross cutting questions on CBD safety. In the meeting, the subgroup reviewed published datasets to review the quality of the evidence and check that new evidence did not impact on the published provisional ADI for >98% pure CBD. Members also discussed the importance of keeping a record of all of the reviewed data thus far and the benefits this database would have for the FSA’ governance and safety assessments.

Further actions for the draft statement on the safety of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) as a contaminant of foods was discussed and reviewed, with particular emphasis on the importance of document structure and consistency with referenced materials.

Next main meeting: 22^nd January 2025 (CBD14 – TBA).

Chair: Dr Camilla Alexander-White.

Secretariat: acnfp@food.gov.uk
ACNFP Website: Advisory Committee on Novel Foods and Processes | Advisory Committee on Novel Foods and Processes

Advisory Committee on the Microbiological Safety of Food (ACMSF)

Updated: 12 November 2024.

Last meeting: 24 October 2024.

The Committee’s 107^th plenary meeting was on the 24th of October 2024.

Frieda Jorgensen from UKHSA gave an update on Raw pet food survey.

Sheep survey (Shaun Cawthraw, APHA) – reserved business.

IID3 update (Erica Kintz, FSA) – reserved business.

PATH-SAFE FBD.1 Correlating surveillance of foodborne pathogens in wastewater with IID determination in the UK population (Erica Kintz, FSA) – reserved business.

EFIG update (Anthony Wilson, FSA) – reserved business.

Committee update

• AMR working group - reserved business.
• Listeria working group.

Next meeting:  6^th February 2025.

Chair: Professor Bill Keevil
Secretariat: acmsf@food.gov.uk
Website: acmsf.food.gov.uk

Advisory Committee on Animal Feeding stuffs (ACAF)

Updated: 13^th January 2025.

Last meeting: 18^th December 2024.

18^th December 2024 ACAF Meeting Summary

• Minutes discussed from the last meeting; any changes that need to be made have been noted.
• Dossier for assessment RP1904 Biominc C – the application was reviewed, and the applicant will be asked to provide further information.
• Dossier for assessment RP2071 Enterosure conc – the application was reviewed, and the applicant will be asked to provide further information.
• Dossier for assessment RP2107 Availa CR - the application was reviewed, and the applicant will be asked to provide further information.
• Reviewed the RFI responses for RP1275, RP1696 and RP1888.
• An internal safety assessment for RP1499 Balancius muramidase was reviewed.
• Draft opinions were evaluated for RP1070/RP1071/RP1072, RP1243, RP1258, RP1317, RP1366, RP1393, RP1400 and RP1512. The members provided feedback on the content and finalised previous opinions.
• Members reviewed the Qualified Presumption of Safety (QPS) approach as part of the Guidance framework and its validity for the assessment of GB applications.

Next meeting: 12^th February 2025.

Chair: Professor Nicholas Jonsson

Secretariat: acaf@food.gov.uk

Website: Advisory Committee on animal feedingstuffs | Advisory Committee on animal feedingstuffs (food.gov.uk)

Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment (COT)

Updated: December 2024.
Last meeting: 10th  December 2024.

Topics discussed included:

At their December meeting the Committee reviewed two authorisations: substance Glycolipids (E 246) (Nagardo, AM-1) for use as a new food additive. (RP1457)  as well as the “Extension of use of nisin (E 234) to a new food category “egg analogues” (RP42) (Reserved). 

They continued their work on the maternal diet with a discussion of the supplement Echinacea, a third draft statement on the Safety of Ginger Supplement use in Pregnancy, and a discussion on the effects of Calcidiol (a vitamin D derivative) supplementation during pregnancy.

Finally, the committee discussed the planned work to develop COT guidance; it is hoped this work will commence in the near future.

Next meeting: 4th of February 2025.

Chair: Professor Alan Boobis
Secretariat: cot@food.gov.uk
Website: Committee on Toxicity | Committee on Toxicity (food.gov.uk)

Committee on Carcinogenicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment (COC)

Updated: December 2024.
Last meeting: November 2024. 

• Horizon scanning.

Next meeting: 13th March 2025.

Chair: Professor David Harrison
Secretariat: COC@phe.gov.uk
Website: committee-on-carcinogenicity-of-chemicals-in-food-consumer-products-and-the-environment

The Committee on Mutagenicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment (COM)

Updated: October 2024.

Last meeting:   20^th June 2024.

Horizon scanning- presentations on Computational methods and mutagenicity and on Artificial Intelligence and mutagenicity data.

Guidance statement on the use of Quantitative Structure Activity Relationships (QSAR).

Next meeting:  TBC.

Chair: Prof Gareth Jenkins.
Secretariat: COM@phe.gov.uk
Website: committee-on-mutagenicity-of-chemicals-in-food-consumer-products-and-the-environment

Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN)

Updated: December 2024.
Last meeting: 21st November.

Meeting focus: horizon scanning, processed foods, sweeteners, plant-based drinks.

Next meeting: 13th March 2025..

Chair: Professor Ian Young.
Secretariat:SACN@dhsc.gov.uk
Website: scientific-advisory-committee-on-nutrition