Meeting

Updates from other committees

ACM/1418

Last updated: 16 October 2023

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Science Council  

Last open meeting: 8 December 2022

  • 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: 15 March 2024 

 

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 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. 

 

Oct 23 update: 

  • The secretariat and Chair are continuing to scope up future work for the committee, including potential collaborative work with DEFRA’s SSEG (Social Science Expert Group). Members are meeting in late November to discuss new work streams and the best way to achieve.   

 

  • The Wider Consumer Interests working group continues to support this ARI, and has completed an in depth review of the monthly Consumer Insight Tracker, making practical recommendations to enhance the value of this research. This is now published on the ACSS website (CIT Review)   

The next open meeting (12th Plenary) of the ACSS will be a hybrid meeting on the 27th Feb 2023.  

 

Advisory Committee on Novel Foods and Processes (ACNFP) 

Last meeting: 162nd : 18 & 19 Sep 2023 

  • Successful 2-day meeting. 5 new dossiers reviewed requiring a mixture of RFIs and refinement of CADs  
  • 5 returning dossiers had further information requested with one dossier advancing to a CAD 
  • Annual report for 2022 agreed, to be published following minor edits once cleared by Chairs action 
  • One dossier (Calcidiol, which was removed from the agenda) agreed to have the CAD finalised and agreed on via correspondence rather than bring it back to a meeting 
  • Committee updated on the work of the CBD subgroup and discussion on various questions raised by the subgroup on how to progress assessments of CBD application 
  • 1 returning CDB application reviewed. 2 new CBD applications on the agenda will be reviewed at a later date due to the meeting running out of time  

Next meeting:  15th Nov 2023 (Virtual)  

 

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. 

 

PGT Subcommittee 

Last PGT meeting: 18th July 2023   

Highlight: The meeting included a Precision Breeding (PB) workshop, focussing on data requirement; comments were invited on the draft statement, by correspondence ahead of the meeting, and in meeting. A revised draft statement will be discussed in ACNFP161, 25th July 2023. 

Next meeting (PGT10): 18th October 2023

 

CBD Subgroup   

Last CBD meeting: 4th July 2023 

Highlight: The Subgroup was still on hold until November 2023, due to a required break in between meetings. However, online correspondence was made with members who were asked to approach the previous group B action of reading through toxicology data over the summer.

The lead secretariat has also begun to develop a CBD-focused website page that will be located on the main ACNFP website, similar to the PGT Subcommittee.  

Next main meeting: 7th November 2023 (CBD8 – Topic TBC) 

  

Advisory Committee on Animal Feeding stuffs (ACAF) 

Last meeting: 15 September 2023 

  • Minutes discussed from the last meeting, any changes that need to be made have been noted. (ACAF/86/01) 
  • Dossier for assessment RP1137 CanBiocin K-9 – the application was reviewed and the applicant will be asked to provide further information.  
  • Dossier for assessment RP1243 L-methionine - the application was reviewed and the applicant will be asked to provide further information. 
  • Dossier for assessment RP1258 Enviva PRO 202 GT - the application was reviewed and the applicant will be asked to provide further information. 
  • Dossier for assessment RP1275 Quantum Blue - the application was reviewed, and the applicant will be asked to provide further information.  
  • Reviewed the RFI responses for RP709, RP746, RP812-814, RP1047 and RP1087. 
  • Draft opinions were evaluated for RP309, RP593, RP1307. The members provided feedback on the content and finalised previous opinions.   

Next meeting: 31 October 2023 

 

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

Last meeting: 5th September 2023

Topics discussed included: 

At their September meeting the Committee discussed papers on: A systematic review of the literature on dioxins and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), exposure to titanium dioxide in the UK population and the public consultation on EFSA’s 2023 re-evaluation of the risk to public health from inorganic arsenic in food. 

They commented on the Draft Opinion on the evaluation of a recycling process (Reserved) and discussed an assessment of the risk of allergic reaction from fortification of non-wholemeal wheat flour with folic acid.   

The Committee continued their work on second draft position papers for Chitosan, Cabin Air quality and Bisphenol A (BPA). 

Next meeting: 17th October 2023.  

 

Secretariat

October 2023