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

TOX/2024/40

Last updated: 18 October 2024

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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:

o   Food is safe

o   Food is what it says it is

o   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: August 2024.

Last meeting: 9th July 2024.

(13th 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 a rapid evidence assessment outlining the available evidence around consumer knowledge, beliefs s and practises around UPFs.

The next open meeting (14th Plenary) of the ACSS will be a hybrid 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: 27th September 2024.

Last meeting 168th : 17th and 18th September 2024.

  • Constructive meeting of the full committee to explore the way forward for a number of ongoing applications. Committee Advice documents were cleared for 9 applications: 1 GM (to be concluded by Chairs action following minor amendments), 2 returning NFs (to be reviewed by members and completed by chairs action), 2 new NF application undergoing assessment and requiring further information form the applicant, 3 CBD with a way forward agreed and another CBD with consideration on further approach evaluated.
  • 2 NF CADs that had their assessment concluded by correspondence were agreed and will enter the publication process.
  • The Committee also reviewed a proposal to consider formation of a new subgroup for alternative and cell cultivated proteins, all in agreement.
  • Lastly, a joint COT and ACNFP draft statement on Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) as a contaminant in food was reviewed with some amendments suggested.

Next meeting: 20th November 2024  (Virtual).

Products of Genetic Technologies Subcommittee (PGT)

PGT Subcommittee

Updated: 13th October 2024. 

Last PGT meeting: 8th October 2024. 

Highlight: Constructive meeting where advice was received on on the assessment of one returning GM application (RP2065) and a new one (RP2044).

The Subcommittee identified where further information from the applicants and further expertise on the committee were needed to complete the safety assessment of the two other applications.

The Subcommittee also discussed the safety assessment of GMOs in which expression levels and/or other properties of the newly introduced proteins present challenges for analysis.

Next meeting (PGT17): 11th December 2024.

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

CBD Subgroup

Updated: 3rd of October 2024.

 Last CBD meeting: 11th September 2024.

Highlight: A successful meeting in which members progressed the reviews of wider cross cutting questions on CBD safety. In the meeting, the subgroup reviewed updated group A (>98% pure CBD) 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.

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: 6th November 2024 (CBD13 – Group B wash up, study reviews and THC).

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: 9th August 2024.

Last meeting: 19th & 20th June 2024.

The Committee’s plenary meeting was on the 19th of June 2024, followed by a horizon scanning workshop on the 20th.

Committee update

Charlotte Parnell from FSA gave an update on Wave 7 of the Food and You 2 survey.

Giles Chapman- National Food Crime Unit, FSA gave a presentation on food fraud.

  • AMR working group - reserved business.
  • EFIG update (Anthony Wilson, FSA) – reserved business.
  • Sheep Survey overview (Stephen Wyllie, APHA) - reserved business.
  • IID3 update (Erica Kintz, FSA) – reserved business.
  • Campylobacter expert elicitation feedback (Johanna Jackson, FSA) - reserved business.

The horizon scanning workshop was devised by the secretariat and was intended among other things to help identify and further understand the effects of climate change on UK food safety, in line with the FSA’s commitments under Risk Action H9.1 of the government’s Third National Adaptation Programme (NAP3).  The committee discussed key causes and possible mitigation strategies.

Next meeting: 24th October 2024.

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

Advisory Committee on Animal Feeding stuffs (ACAF)

Updated: 27th September 2024.

Last meeting: 17th September 2024.

17th September 2024 ACAF Meeting Summary

  • Minutes discussed from the last meeting, any changes that need to be made have been noted.
  • Dossier for assessment RP1644 Saccharomyces cerevisiae Y1242 – the application was reviewed, and the applicant will be asked to provide further information.
  • Dossier for assessment RP1696 Bacillus velezensis ATCC PTA- 6737 – the application was reviewed, and the applicant will be asked to provide further information.
  • Reviewed the RFI responses for RP1258, RP1366 and RP1400.
  • The post-market monitoring report for RP1070, RP1071 and RP1072 was reviewed.
  • Draft opinions were evaluated for RP1026/RP1027, RP1154, RP1298, RP1341, RP1421, RP1512 and RP2059. The members provided feedback on the content and finalised previous opinions.

Next meeting: 30th October 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: September 2024.
Last meeting: 3rd September 2024.

Topics discussed included:

At their September meeting the Committee commented on a Committee Advice document submitted by the the Joint Expert Group on Additives Enzymes and other regulated products (AEJEG) RP1245 Steviol glycosides (reserved). The committee also reviewed an application to authorise iron-enriched yeast as a permitted form of iron which can be voluntarily added to foods for specific groups, food supplements and general foods (Reserved).

In addition, they discussed the COT Ways of Working with a particular focus on the discussion papers and how they should be used and on horizon scanning.

The Committee received a presentation and discussed a review of New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) in regulatory decisions for chemical safety.

Next meeting: 21st October 2024.

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: October 2024.
Last meeting: 18th July 2024. 

  • EFSA Margin of Exposure scoping paper.
  • Guidance statement- Developing a better approach to assessing carcinogencity.

Next meeting: November 2024.

Further meetings: TBC.

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: 20th June 2024.

Topics discussed included: 

  • 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 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: October 2024.
Last meeting: 9th of October. 

Meeting focus: Horizon Scanning.

Topics discussed included:

  • Processed foods,
  • Maternal diet,
  • Protein,
  • Vitamin D,
  • Wholegrains,
  • Non-sugar sweeteners.

Next meeting: 23rd November 2024.

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