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Update on the work of other Scientific Advisory Committees- February 2024

TOX/2024/09

Last updated: 30 January 2024

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Paper for Information. 

Secretariat   

January 2024

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: 6th October 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: 13th March 2024.

Interim Chair: Professor John O'Brien

Secretariat: sciencecouncil@food.gov.uk

Website: science-council.food.gov.uk

Advisory Committee for Social Science (ACSS)

Updated: January 2024.

Last meeting: 5th July 2023.

5th July 2023 (11th plenary, open session). Minutes and papers are available on the website.  Professor Susan Jebb, Chair of the FSA, attended the meeting and spoke about FSA priorities going forward, the Head of Social Science, Dr Joanna Disson, outlined the recent independent Government Social Research (GSR) review of FSA’s Social Science Team; Additionally, Nat Gladstone provided an overview of the Science Advisory Committees (SAC) review and the outcomes of this for the ACSS.

Key update items:

  • The ACSS hosted KSN XXXXX
  • Continuing to work with DEFRA SSEG (Social Science Expert Group)
  • 11th plenary on July 5th, attendees include Susan Jebb and members from DEFRAs SSEG secretariat.

January 2024 update:

  • The Kitchen Life 2 working group has now completed activity supporting the award winning KL2 Social Science project (which used motion-sensitive cameras to explore food safety behaviours in households and FBO kitchens). Final outputs from this project are available using this link: Kitchen Life 2 | Food Standards Agency. 
  •  The secretariat has completed internal consultation on new possible areas of work and identified two priority areas (ultra processed foods and regulated projects reform) which they are taking forward with FSA leads.    

The next open meeting (12th Plenary) of the ACSS will be a hybrid meeting on the 27th Feb 2024.

Chair: Julie Hill

Secretariat: acss@food.gov.uk

Website: acss.food.gov.uk

Advisory Committee on Novel Foods and Processes (ACNFP)

Updated: 16th Nov 2023.

Last meeting 163rd : 15 Nov 2023.

  • Successful meeting. 3 dossiers reviewed requiring a mixture of RFIs and refinement of CADs.
  • 1 returning dossiers had further information requested to answer data gaps.
  • A draft programme for a proposed workshop on the assessment of allergenicity of new protein sources was discussed with the workshop to be held early 2024.
  • A draft safety assessment on outcomes developed and agreed by the PGT Subcommittee on 3 GM applications was reviewed, as well as draft safety assessment outcome on a CBD paper was also finalised.
  • Committee provided with an overview of the upcoming applications to be considered for novel food safety assessment.

Next meeting: 7th Feb 2024 (Hybrid).

Update 21/09/23: ACNFP statement on Precision Bred Organisms (July 
2023) was published on ACNFP website 07/09; it supported board discussion 
in their September meeting 20/09.

Products of Genetic Technologies Subcommittee (PGT) 

PGT Subcommittee

Updated: 23 October 2023. 

Last PGT meeting: 18th October 2023. 

Highlight: First reviewing of the new full GM applications RP1123, RP1372 and RP1506 and their of draft Committee Advice Documents; these will now be reviewed at next ACNFP meeting (November 2023) – planning and process of GM assessments was reviewed.

Next meeting: (PGT11): 12th December 2023.

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

CBD Subgroup

Updated: 13th November 2023.

 Last CBD meeting: 7th November 2023.

Highlight: The Subgroup held its final meeting of the year, after the required break in between meetings. Members were asked to approach the previous group B and THC contaminant actions of reading through toxicology data over 
the summer and feeding this back during this meeting. Members have been requested a hybrid meeting for the next meeting and this has been organised 
accordingly.
The lead secretariats have developed and made live a CBD-focused website 
page that is located on the main ACNFP website, similar to the PGT 
Subcommittee. 

Next main meeting: 1st February 2024 (CBD9 – Topic TBC).

Update 13/11/23: Joint position paper from ACNFP & COT on establishing provisional ADI for pure form CBD in foods | Advisory Committee on Novel Foods and Processes was published on ACNFP website 12/10.

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: 6th November 2023.

Last meeting: 19th October 2023.

The Committee’s plenary meeting was on the 19th of October 2023.

Matters arising (ACM/1416)
The Secretariat has produced an information paper summarising action taken on points arising from the minutes of previous meetings.

Committee update

  • AMR Working Group

Report on Botulinum Neurotoxin-Producing Clostridia Members discussed the ACMSF report produced by the Botulinum 
Neurotoxin-Producing Clostridia working group.

Phage use in food production

Dr Francesca Hodges from InnovateUK gave a presentation on the use of phage in food production.

Update on emerging issues Reserved Business

Update on IID3 Reserved Business
Sarah O’Brien (Newcastle University) updated members on the pilot report for the third study of infectious intestinal disease in the UK project (IID3).
 

Information papers
ACM/1417 Items of literature
ACM/1418 Committee update

Next meeting: Thursday 08 February 2024.

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

Advisory Committee on Animal Feeding stuffs (ACAF)

Updated: 19 January 2024.

Last meeting: 14 December 2024.

14 December 2024 ACAF Meeting Summary

  •  Minutes discussed from the last meeting, any changes that need to be made have been noted. (ACAF/88/01).
  • Dossier for assessment RP1341 Avizyme 1505 - the application was reviewed, and the applicant will be asked to provide further information.
  • Dossier for assessment RP1280 Formaldehyde - the application was reviewed, and the applicant will be asked to provide further information.
  • Dossier for assessment RP1317-1350 Vitamin D - the application was reviewed, and the applicant will be asked to provide further information.
  • Dossier for assessment RP1393 Ronozyme - the application was reviewed, and the applicant will be asked to provide further information.
  • Reviewed the RFI responses for RP812, RP814, RP1015, RP1039/40 and RP1111.
  •  Draft opinions were evaluated for RP746, RP1047, RP1087, RP709. The members provided feedback on the content and finalised previous opinions.
  • A draft document detailing recommendations to applicants for their applications to the FSA was presented to ACAF for comment.

 
Next meeting: 31 January 2024

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 2023.
Last meeting: 12th December 2023.

Topics discussed included:

Topics discussed included:

At their December meeting the Committee discussed papers on the risk of emerging marine biotoxins in British shellfish, focusing on pectenotoxins, and a scoping paper on advice on the risk to human health from consumption of bivalve molluscs (shellfish) harvested from UK waters associated with marine biotoxins.

They were also provided with background information on the regulation of food supplements, following correspondence from the Council for Responsible Nutrition.

As well as a second draft statement on the safety of ginger supplement use in pregnancy, two discussion papers on Bisphenol A, they also commented on a draft EFSA Opinion on polychlorinated naphthalenes and a first draft the Plant-based drinks Working Group’s report (reserved).

The committee also discussed the draft advice of the AEJEG on steviol glycosides and 2-Hydroxy-4-methoxybenzaldehyde (both reserved).

Next meeting: 6th February 2024.

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: December 2023.
Last meeting:16 November 2023.

Workshop 
“If we can't use animal data, what can we do? How is carcinogenicity 
assessed in the cosmetics and personal care industry?”

Next meeting: 21st March 2024.

Further meetings: July, November 2024.

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: December 2023.
Last meeting: 12th October 2023.

Topics discussed included: 
• Titanium dioxide.
• QSAR guidance.
• Lay summaries for COM website.

Next meeting: 29th February 2024.

Further meetings: June, October 2024.

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 2023.
Last meeting: 23 November 2023.

Topics discussed included:

  • WHO guidelines on non sugar sweeteners
  • NDNS
  • Vitamin D fortification (reserved)
  • Nutrition and maternal weight outcomes (reserved)
  • Joint COT/SACN working Group report on plant based drinks (reserved)

Next meeting: 14th March 2024.
Further meetings: 19th June 2024.

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