Update on the work of other Scientific Advisory Committees-March 2023

Paper for Information. 

Secretariat

March 2023

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: 9 January 2023.

Last open meeting: 8 December 2022.

Summary

• The Chair presented a summary of her activity over the last 6 months.
• The FSA led a discussion of the FSA Science Update 2022 (FSA 22/12/07) to the FSA Board.
• The CSA updated the Council on his recent activity and discussions (including Government Office of Science’s review of SACs, changing FSA priorities this year, the Precision Breeding Bill).
• Updates from Science Council members attending Scientific Advisory Committees (SACs) and a proposed streamlining of members’ engagement.

Next open meeting: 7 September 2023.

Chair: Professor Sandy Thomas

Secretariat: sciencecouncil@food.gov.uk

Website: science-council.food.gov.uk

Advisory Committee for Social Science (ACSS)

Updated: January 2023.

Last meeting: 20th July 2022.

(9th plenary, open session). Minutes and papers are available on the website.

Key update items:

• Julie Hill has started her role as Chair of the ACSS.
•  Three new members joined the committee in October, Dr Charlotte Hardman, Professor Fiona Gillison and Dr Naomi Maynard. In October, we held a successful induction event to welcome the new members to the committee.
• ACSS secretariat and Julie Hill attending the DEFRA SSEG (Social Science Expert Group) meeting in Cambridge in November.
• 10th plenary on February 2nd , attendees include Susan Jebb and members from DEFRAs SSEG secretariat.
• Planning on the ACSS’s first networking event in the next financial year.

Working group highlights:

• The Assurance working group have completed the ‘good science’ quality assurance toolkit to support the production of high-quality research within FSA social science. The group have also contributed to the Social Science Gateway Process, and as such review the research questions and methodology of all new social science projects.
• The Kitchen Life 2 working group continues to support the innovative, cross-cutting and multi-disciplinary research project Kitchen Life 2. Fieldwork for the project has now been completed and several of the working group members attended the behavioural interventions workshop in November to generate hypotheses for behavioural intervention. Drafts of reports are expected in February 2023.
• The Wider Consumer Interests working group continues to support this new ARI and focus on Household Food Insecurity and the Consumer Insight Tracker which the working group lead is conducting an in-depth review off.
• The Economics working group have reviewed the economic work plan for the next financial year and are provided with monthly updates on key activity within the economics team.
• The Climate Change and Consumer Behaviour working group had a recent publication around the impact of climate change on consumer food behaviours. The group has paused activity for the time being.

The next open meeting (10th Plenary) of the ACSS will be 2nd February 2023.

Chair: Julie Hill

Secretariat: acss@food.gov.uk

Website: acss.food.gov.uk

Advisory Committee on Novel Foods and Processes (ACNFP)

Updated: 17th February 2023.

Last meeting: 7th and 8th February 2023.

• A traditional food notification for Madhuca Longifolia was reviewed with reasoned safety objections raised.
• Draft outputs for RP549 and RP1202 were reviewed for the final time, to be published once cleared.
• RP35, RP1033, RP1238, RP1411 and RP1109 were reviewed with draft outputs commissioned, to be reviewed at the next meetings.
• RP1290 and RP1046 were reviewed for the first time with requests for further information to applicant.
• A draft of the Committees advice prepared by the Products of Genetic Technologies (PGT) subgroup for renewal applications for genetically modified soybean, maize and cotton were discussed and agreed..

Next meeting: 26th April 2023.

Products of Genetic Technologies Subcommittee (PGT) 

PGT Subcommittee

Updated: 18 March 2023.

Last PGT meeting: 15th March 2023.

Highlight:

Minutes of PGT6 agreed; process for future GM assessments (how to split the task per expertise) was agreed; the meeting was dedicated to a Precision Breeding workshops, focussing on data requirement.

Next meeting: 17th May 2023.

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

CBD Subgroup

Updated: 02 February 2023.

Last CBD meeting: 17h January 2023.

Highlight:

All minutes of precedent meetings have been reviewed and were finalised at the January meeting before discussing output to FPP; meeting included a discussion surrounding the EIHA Consortium dataset and how this package of data could potentially affect the reserved ADI of 10mg that was hypothesised in September.

A position paper skeleton regarding pure form >98% CBD products was brought to the committee; the Secretariat proposed that members comment on this skeleton further until the 24th of January before a final draft is completed. An urgent mini-90-minute meeting has been scheduled for w/c 13th February, due to the need to push the submission of the final position paper.

Next main meeting: 8th March 2023 (CBD5 – Current agenda TBC)

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: 28th February 2023.

Last meeting: 9th February 2023.

The Committee’s plenary meeting was on the 9th of February 2023.

Matters arising (ACM/1402) The Secretariat has produced an information paper summarising action taken on points arising from the minutes of previous meetings.

Committee update:

 AMR Working Group

Neurotoxin-producing Clostridia subgroup report (ACM/1403) Members discussed the ACMSF report on botulinum toxin-producing Clostridia and vacuum packaging and associated processes.

Survey of Infectious Intestinal Disease during COVID-19 (ACM/1404) Members were presented an overview of the recent IID COVID survey.

Risk assessment of the risk to vulnerable consumers from Listeria monocytogenes in ready-to-eat smoked fish (ACM/1407) Reserved Business.

Food Standards Scotland presented an overview of a strategic risk assessment on the risk of Listeria in smoked fish. Epidemiology of Foodborne Infections Group (ACM/1405) Reserved Business.

Members were updated on the outcome of the EFIG meeting held on 6th December 2022.

Incidents and outbreaks update (ACM/1406) Reserved Business.

Members received the report on recent microbiological food incidents and outbreaks.

Update/milestones IID3 Reserved Business.

Members received an update on the current progress on the third study of infectious intestinal disease in the UK project (IID3).

Information papers

ACM/1408 ACMSF workplan.

ACM/1409 Update from other SACs.

ACM/1410 Items of interest from the literature.

Next meeting: 22 June 2023.

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

Advisory Committee on Animal Feeding stuffs (ACAF)

Updated: 18 January 2023.

Last meeting: 6 October 2022.

The plenary discussed:

• Dimethylglycine sodium salt RP665.
• Hostazym RP593.
• Lactococcus lactis DSM 11037 RP686.
• Saccharomyces cerevisiae RP694.

9 December 2022 ACAF Meeting Summary:

• Minutes discussed from the last meeting, any changes that need to be made have been noted (ACAF/81/01).
• Dossier for assessment RP709 ProAct 360 – the application was reviewed and the applicant will be asked to provide further information.
• Dossier for assessment RP746 Agal-Pro - the application was reviewed and the applicant will be asked to provide further information.
• Dossier for assessment RP748 Coxam - the application was reviewed and the applicant will be asked to provide further information.
• Dossier for assessment RP791 Lactobacillus buchneri - the application was reviewed, and the applicant will be asked to provide further information.
• Reviewed the RFI responses for RP1071, RP226, RP416, RP666 and RP686. • Draft opinions were evaluated for RP557, 600 – RP140, 141, 142, 284, RP641.
• The members provided feedback on the content and finalised previous opinions. All opinions on these are agreed by the committee so can go out.
• The committee members workload and expertise were discussed, the number of meetings per year, including discussion on virtual meetings and in person meetings, and discussed areas where new members will be needed.
• Members discussed how they can share information potentially of interest to other ACAF members. Was suggested to share it through the secretariat first.
• Discussion on what can be done to make it easier for members to navigate through the applications.

Next meeting: 9 February 2023.

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: February 2023.
Last meeting: 7th February 2023.

Topics discussed included: At their February meeting the Committee discussed a paper on existing health-based guidance values (HBGVs) for T2 & HT2 mycotoxins and a discussion paper on the effects of pica during pregnancy along with a draft opinion on the safety of 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate phosphate as a monomer for use in the manufacture of plastic food contact materials; this is currently being treated as reserved.

They also reviewed their 2022 Annual Report of the COT, an update on actions taken subsequent to COT advice, potential future discussion items as part of horizon scanning 2023 and a draft scientific opinion from EFSA on the Tolerable Upper Intake Level 2 for vitamin B6.

The committee continued to work on their first draft statement on the guidance levels for the fortificants in the bread and flour regulations and their second draft statement on the hepatotoxicity of green tea catechins.

Next meeting: 27th March 2023.

Chair: Professor Alan Boobis
Secretariat: cot@food.gov.uk
Website: cot.food.gov.uk

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

Updated: March 2023.
Last meeting:16th  March 2023.

Topics discussed included:

• Hydroxy anthracene derivatives (reserved)
• Draft Annual report.
• Horizon scanning.
• Summary of COC Workshop “Changing the paradigm: How should we assess cancer risk in the UK?” 17 November 2023.

Next meeting: 20th July 2023.
Further meetings: 16 November 2023.

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 2023.
Last meeting: 23td February 2023.

Topics discussed included:

• A can coating (reserved)
• Draft Annual report.
• Scoping paper on in vitro biomarkers in genotoxicity.
• Update on progress with titanium dioxide review.

Next meeting: 15th June 2023.

Further meetings: 12th October 2023.

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 2023.
Last meeting: 16th March 2023.

Topics discussed included:

• Feeding young children aged 1-5.
• Processed foods and health.
• Approaches to modelling impact of reduction in meat and dairy intakes on micronutrients intakes and disease risk.
• Draft monitoring proposals for the amendments to the micronutrient levels in the Bread and Flour Regulations 1998.

Next meeting: 22nd March 2023.
Further meetings: 23rd November 2023.

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