Update from other Committees

Science Council  

Last open meeting: 9 December 2021 (Open session) 

• The Chair presented a summary of the Science Council’s activity over the last 6 months. 
• The FSA provided an update on the Annual Science report to the FSA Board and the development of key performance indicators (KPIs) for FSA science. 
• The CSA updated the Council on his recent activity and discussions (including the Government spending review, gene editing food, food labelling and alternative proteins). 
• An update on progress of Working Group 6 on Food Safety and Net Zero Carbon (including the workshop on 18 November). 
• Updates from Science Council members attending Scientific Advisory Committees (SACs). 

Next open meeting: 23 June 2022 

Advisory Committee for Social Science (ACSS)

Formally established in April 2018, the Advisory Committee for Social Science (ACSS) provides expert strategic advice to the FSA on the use of the social sciences. The Committee met on 22nd June 2021 and an update was provided in the ACMSF October 2021 meeting.

Working group highlights:                                                                          

• The Climate Change and Consumer Behaviour working group are planning a second stage workshop, following the expert engagement exercise in May which aimed to map the consumer behaviour trends influenced by climate change concerns (a summary of this work is available here). A second workshop is currently being planned to engage across the FSA to explore possible next steps.   
• The Assurance working group have commissioned a piece of work to develop a ‘good science’ quality assurance toolkit to support the production of high-quality research.  
• The Kitchen Life 2 working group continues to support the research project Kitchen Life 2, where Wave 1 of fieldwork is nearly complete. Initial findings from the pilot and wave 1 will be available in late November. Wave 2 recruitment has also commenced.  
• The Committee are discussing a new working group to guide the Wider Consumer Interests social research programme.  

Next open meeting: 26th January 2022. 

Advisory Committee on Novel Foods and Processes (ACNFP) 

Last meeting: 24th November 2021 

In addition to dossiers on mung bean protein, Calcidiol and a new dossier Cetylated fatty acids, preparatory work as reserved business for the Committee’s review of further CBD dossiers and managing the future work on GM and Genome Editing (GE) food and feed products was discussed.  

• We had a dossier on protein, one on a new source of vitD3, and one on fatty acids supplements, of which 2 had EFSA opinions which were also examined as additional documents for committee consideration as part of their independent assessment.
• Management of the high numbers of CBD dossiers was discussed including a review of the suitability check requirements.
• The committee agreed on the creation of a specialised GM/GE subgroup where several members volunteered. Still to complete the panel and find the most appropriate chair. Hoping to have this subgroup running in spring 2022.

• Discussion on minutes recording and publishing, re: level of details when reviewing regulated products. We will share the revised style with colleagues in the JEGs Secretariats.

Next meeting: 2nd February 2022

Advisory Committee on Animal Feeding stuffs (ACAF) 

Last meeting: 27th June 2019 

Next meeting: No dates set for meetings – Committee under review. 

Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment (COT)

Last meeting: 7th December 2021

Topics discussed included: 

At the December meeting the Committee discussed items including topic proposals for a COT workshop in March 2022, part 2 of a discussion paper on the risk assessment of cow’s milk in children aged 1 to 5 years, in the context of the previous evaluation of plant based drinks and two Reserved items: Smoke flavourings reauthorisations and a discussion paper on vitamin D exposure levels in formula fed infants. 

The Committee continued their work on maternal health, reviewing the first draft of a statement on the effects of excess Vitamin A on maternal health and a discussion paper on the potential risks from cadmium in the maternal diet. 

Also the Committee reviewed an interim paper on the potential health risks of bamboo food contact materials and the EFSA draft opinion and exposure protocol open for public consultation on Phthalates. 

Next meeting: 8th February 2022 

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

Last meeting:  18th November 

Topics on the agenda included: 

Horizon scanning, update to guidance statement on alternatives to the assessment of potential carcinogenicity, presentation on patient derived cell models.  

Next meeting:  2 March 2022 

The Committee on Mutagenicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment (COM) 

Last meeting:  12 October 2021  

Topics discussed included:   

•  Review of EFSA opinion on titanium dioxide 
• Hydroxyanthracene derivatives in supplements  
• Horizon scanning 
• Draft Annual Report for 2020 
• OECD Draft Detailed Review Paper on the Miniaturised Versions of the Bacterial Reverse Gene Mutation Test 
• QSAR and Genotoxicity 

Next meeting: 1 March 2022 

Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) 

Last meeting: 10th November 

Nutrition and COVID-19, Feeding young children aged 12-60 months, folic acid and National Diet and Nutrition Survey blood analytes, horizon scanning. 

Next meeting: 11th March 2022  

For information:

There is a quarterly FSA Newsletter sent to all committee members. Please let us know if you did not receive the last one sent earlier in January 2022.

Secretariat

February 2022