Terms of Reference

To advise at the request of: 

• Department of Health
• Food Standards Agency
• Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform
• Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
• Department of Transport, Local Government and the Regions
• Health and Safety Executive
• Health Protection Agency
• Chemicals Regulation Directorate
• Veterinary Medicines Directorate
• Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency
• Home Office
• Scottish Executive
• National Assembly for Wales
• Northern Ireland Executive
• Other Government Departments and Agencies

To assess and advise on the toxic risk to man of substances which are:

• Used or proposed to be used as food additives, or used in such a way that they might contaminate food through their use or natural occurrence in agriculture, including horticulture and veterinary practice or in the distribution, storage, preparation, processing or packaging of food;
• Used or proposed to be used or manufactured or produced in industry, agriculture, food storage or any other workplace;
• Used or proposed to be used as household goods or toilet goods and preparations;
• Used or proposed to be used as drugs, when advice is requested by the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency;
• Used or proposed to be used or disposed of in such a way as to result in pollution of the environment.

To advise:

• On important general principles or new scientific discoveries in connection with toxic risks, to co-ordinate with other bodies concerned with the assessment of toxic risks and to present recommendations for toxicity testing.

To report:

• Prof Alan Boobis Chair will report to the FSA CSA biannually via the FSA SAC Chair’s meeting.
• Members of the SAC who wish to raise concerns regarding the CSA’s oversight of the committee have the right to do so via the FSA Chair or FSA Chief Executive.”