Update on the work of other Scientific Advisory Committees- March 2026
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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: January 2026.
Summary of work
- ‘Wider impacts beyond food safety risk assessment’ project workshop on 22 April 2024: This project was commissioned to advise on the practicalities of including impacts outside food safety in FSA decisions. This workshop brought together external experts across a range of disciplines to review exemplar case studies of a range of possible novel foods/processes, establish the key wider impacts, what information is needed to assess these and where collaboration would be needed with other Government Departments on impacts of joint interest. The final report of this project was published, along with its recommendations, in November 2024 on the Science Council website.
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‘Artificial Intelligence (AI) in food assurance’ project workshop was held on 9 June 2025 to support their project on AI use in food safety and authenticity. Science Council hosted this expert elicitation workshop with experts across a range of sectors including academia, the food manufacturing and AI industry to discuss the use of AI in food safety/authenticity assurance. A report of this project was published on 28 October on the Science Council website and contains recommendations to the FSA on the use of AI in assuring food safety and authenticity.
Next plenary meeting: April 2026.
Interim Chair: Professor John O'Brien.
Secretariat: Sciencecouncil@food.gov.uk
Website: science-council.food.gov.uk
Advisory Committee for Social Science (ACSS)
Updated: February 2026.
Last meeting: 1st October (15th plenary), key discussion items included:
- Analytic Unit Update.
- Working groups updates (Assurance, Understanding Regulatory Change, Economics, Wider Consumer Interests).
- Science Council update.
- F&Y2 - Declining response rates and the impact on representation.
- F&Y2 - Opportunities for further analysis and reporting.
- External expertise mapping.
- FSA research and evidence priorities: Foodborne disease.
Four working groups are currently active, supporting the development of a range of research activity, from exploring impact metrics for NFCU, to supporting the evaluation of the FSAs provision of information best practise guidance.
Next open meeting (16th Plenary) of the ACSS will be in April.
Chair: Julie Hill.
Secretariat: acss@food.gov.uk
Website: acss.food.gov.uk
Advisory Committee on Novel Foods and Processes (ACNFP)
Updated: 27th January 2026.
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ACNFP Committee meeting 19th November 2025: A successful hybrid meeting was held reviewing 4 full novel food applications for precision and biomass fermented products (β-lactoglobulin RP1571, Solein RP1326, Fusarium str. flavolapis RP1637 and Fermotein RP1215). Members identified data gaps, according to the expectations of EU Novel Foods Technical Guidance that has been retained in England and Wales post Brexit, for all four applications and advised that safety could not be fully assured at this stage.
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ACNFP-PGT Subcommittee meeting - 27th January 2026 - Successful half-day meeting, where advice was received on the assessment of one new GM application (Soybean RP2292). The Subcommittee identified where further information from the applicant was needed to complete the safety assessment. The Subcommittee also discussed the assessment of precision bred organisms using some case studies to support the preparations for the new precision breeding regime. The next meeting will be in May 2026.
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ACNFP-CCP Subgroup meeting 20th January: Meeting of the CCP Subgroup scheduled for 20th January 2026 to support the development of guidance addressing the identity, production process and microbiological elements of CCP safety assessment.
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ACNFP-CBD sub-group: it should be noted that this sub-group concluded its formal work as a group in January 2025. However, if new scientific information becomes available, expert members from ACNFP and COT will be reconvened ad hoc to advise the FSA on the relevance of the new work to the FSAs conclusions and advice on CBD.
Next ACNFP meeting: 23rd April 2026 (Virtual).
Next ACNFP-PGT meeting: 12th May 2026 (Hybrid).
Next ACNFP-CCP Subgroup: 22nd April 2026 (Virtual).
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: 12th March 2026.
Last meeting: 5th February 2026
The Committee’s 111th plenary meeting was on the 5th of February 2026.
Anthony Wilson (FSA) gave an update on the work of the Listeria working group. (Reserved business)
Elaine Pegg (FSA) provided an update to the Committee Expertise review.
Tasmin Dewe (VMD) presented a summary of the recently published VARRS report. (Reserved business)
Science Council update (Anthony Wilson, FSA). (Reserved business)
EFIG update (Anthony Wilson, FSA). (Reserved Business)
Overview of Campylobacter SRA (Elli Amanatidou, FSA). (Reserved business)
IID3 update (Lauren Adams, FSA). (Reserved Business)
Next meeting: 17-18th June 2026 in York.
Chair: Mr Alec Kyriakides
Secretariat: acmsf@food.gov.uk
Website: acmsf.food.gov.uk
Advisory Committee on Animal Feeding stuffs (ACAF)
Updated: 24th February 2026.
Last meeting: 10th February 2026.
10th February 2026 ACAF Meeting Summary
- Discussion on coccidiostat and AMR position paper.
- Discussion on acceptable overage levels.
- Phase risk assessment discussion.
- Members reviewed the account of the horizon scanning exercise.
- Draft assessments RP2074 and RP2187.
Next meeting: 10th February 2026.
Interim Chair: Professor Nick Wheelhouse
Secretariat: acaf@food.gov.uk
Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment (COT)
Updated: February 2026.
Last meeting: 3rd February 2026.
Topics discussed included:
At their February meeting the Committee reviewed a risk assessment on the safety of the use of Chopped carbon fibre RP2147 FCMJEG (Reserved).
The Committee discussed the Draft COT Annual report 2025 along with a paper for information updating them on actions taken subsequent to the COT advice given in 2025. They also reviewed potential future discussion items in their annual horizon scanning session.
The Committee continued their work on the maternal diet with a Scoping paper on the potential risks of chemicals (other than caffeine) found in green and black tea in the maternal diet.
Next meeting: 31st March 2026 (Hybrid).
Committee on Carcinogenicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment (COC)
Updated: March 2026.
Last meeting: 19th March 2026.
Update on talc (non-asbestiform) assessment, the end of the genetic paradigm of cancer – consideration of submissions on COC case for change, horizon scanning.
Next meeting: July 2026.
Further meetings: October 2026.
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: March 2026.
Last meeting: February 2026.
The OECD process, OECD error corrected sequencing, OECD review paper on Gamma H2XA method.
Next meeting: June 2026.
Further meetings: October 2026.
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: March 2026.
Last meeting: 12th March 2026.
Meeting focus:
Nutrition and maternal health, review of health effects of meat (reserved), horizon scanning.
Next meeting: 17th, 18th June 2026.
Chair: Julie Lovegrove
Secretariat:SACN@dhsc.gov.uk
Website: Scientific-advisory-committee-on-nutrition