Matters arising

ACM/MIN/102 Para 

Topic and action required

Action Taken

4.2

It was requested that an action point regarding Salmonella in dogs was added to the minutes. This action would involve increasing public and veterinarian awareness of this issue.

Minutes updated accordingly

4.3

It was requested that an action point was added regarding the availability of NHS data to the ACMSF committee members.

Minutes updated accordingly

4.4

Members approved the minutes of the 101^st meeting as an accurate record and agreed that they should be posted on the ACMSF website.

Minutes posted on website

5.1 (bullet point 5)

There have been significant delays to the IID3 project due to problems with the HRA ethical approval. The secretariat will take this to Prof. Robin May to highlight these problems.

Robin May updated by email on 26/05/2023

6.1 (bullet point 9)

The AMR working group have advised the secretariat that a full risk assessment on nisin is needed before any comment can be given regarding its use to replace QACs. The secretariat is to check if a full RA has been considered by the FSA.

We have liaised with AEJEG (Joint Expert Group on Additives, Enzymes and other Regulated Products) who have raised a similar query and are currently in discussion with the legal team regarding whether the ACMSF’s request for a full risk assessment would be justified.

The committee will be updated at future meetings as this action progresses.

7.2 (bullet point 4)

Temperature abuse has been highlighted as the cause of the majority of incidents relating to botulism in chilled foods. It is recommended that the FSA highlight the importance of temperature control in consumer food hygiene campaigns, together with adherence to recommended Use By dates, to reinforce these critical consumer food safety controls.

Meeting with policy arranged for 6/7/23 to discuss

7.2 (bullet point 5)

Whilst existing controls act to maintain safety with respect to botulism in chilled and ambient manufactured foods it is recommended that FSA guidelines should be slightly modified to include in the control actions “a combination of controlling factors which can be shown consistently to prevent toxin production by non-proteolytic C. botulinum”. This is to provide flexibility to support innovation by food business operators that can lead to reduced energy usage, waste reduction and safe shelf-life extensions.

Meeting with policy arranged for 6/7/23 to discuss

7.3 (bullet point 6)

Prof. Borriello brought to the committee that alternative product methodologies may arise due to different drivers, for example, increases in energy costs encouraging FBOs to move away from the use of heat treatment. He asked that in terms of future proofing the report, what reassurance can be given by this report, if people are investigating other methodologies.

Response from subgroup:

The subgroup report includes details of many alternative technologies, and their corresponding relationship with regard to control of C. Botulinum and other neurotoxigenic bacteria, that are currently identified by FBOs. Currently none of the new technologies were considered sufficiently developed to warrant specific advice with regard to food safety but, with a view to future proofing, the group report includes a recommendation to remove special emphasis on heat treatment in the FSA guidelines for safety controls for food manufacture.

7.3 (bullet point 8)

A committee member brought to the attention of the subgroup that a statement in the report, section 5.1.1, regarding the effect of decreasing pH on botulinum toxin stability was ambiguous. The subgroup will review this.

Response from subgroup:

The group agreed that the statement in section 5.1.1 regarding the effect of pH on botulinum neurotoxin was not clear and, in addition, came to the conclusion that the information was only peripherally relevant to the food safety issue. In response the statement was removed from the report.

7.3 (bullet point 11)

The committee discussed that if the public were made more aware of the risks of buying from unregulated food producers, then they would be less likely to do so. Again, it was concluded that we need to communicate more effectively with consumers and food business on the risks to public health.

Meeting with policy arranged for 6/7/23 to discuss

7.3 (bullet point 16)

It was concluded that communication to the correct audience is vital. The ACMSF will approach the Advisory Committee on Social Science (ACSS) to assess how to provide information packs for schools and how to convey a positive message to the public.

Ongoing

7.3 (bullet point 17)

Prof. Borriello will approach the Science council for a renewed strategy for communications with the public.

Prof. Borriello unable to obtain information

7.3 (bullet point 20)

It was agreed that the report is to undergo a public consultation for comments and that this should happen quickly.

Public consultation is underway

8.4 (bullet point 6)

The committee discussed that the handwashing message was diluted in COVID-19 and the public became confused with different messages regarding the virus from different sources. It was discussed that information on why people stop washing hands and why they don’t is needed. A member pointed out that the impact of interventions such as a handwashing campaign tends be a short-lived and then behaviour returns to as it was before. In relation to this there was a concern raised that, in a post-covid society, that there is a danger of government led health advice fatigue, and that a food safety campaign may be better placed in the future.

Meeting with policy arranged for 6/7/23 to discuss

8.4 (bullet point 12)

Prof. Borriello asked if the FSA track the pharmacy sales of antidiarrheals. This was because a study in the USA showed, during an outbreak of Salmonella, the sales of antidiarrheals proved to be a sensitive way of tracking disease levels. It was suggested that this was an action for the FSA MRA team to investigate.

FSA do not track sales of antidiarrheals. UKHSA was asked to comment also, they provided the following response:

We do not track such sales in UKHSA. I would suspect  in our UK situation this could be heavily influenced by the highest burden pathogens of which Salmonella is not one and we also have to bear in mind that our national surveillance in the UK is very different to that in the US – not least because we have the NHS but also as we don’t have a federal structure.

12.3 (bullet point 2)

Clarification requested on survey data provided

Paul Cook to update members during EFIG update in closed session.

12.3 (bullet point 2)

Clarification requested on survey data provided

Paul Cook to update members during EFIG update in closed session.

14.2 (bullet point 2)

Clarification requested on wording in report

Followed up by email with FSA IID3 lead on 24/05/23. Was agreed that wording would reflect this in future reports.

ACM/MIN/101 Para 

Topic and action required

Action Taken

6.5

ACMSF horizon scanning workshop 2022 summary of discussions and outputs

Secretariat to circulate revised report to the committee for sign off and publication

Final report has been circulated for sign off

9.5

UK Food Safety Network

Share the finalised horizon scanning report with UKFSN

Will be shared once report is signed off

ACM/MIN/100 Para 

Topic and action required

Action Taken

5

Botulism in cattle, sheep and goats - update on recommendations from the ACMSF Botulism in Cattle, Sheep and Goats reports

Through paper ACM/1387, APHA responded to the points the committee made on the APHA update on the recommendations from the botulism in cattle, sheep and goats report. The committee at the February 2022 meeting was dissatisfied with the reply provided for recommendations 8.7 (Samples collected during clinical investigations should be archived to assist with the development of further assay systems), explaining that the Committee is asking APHA to either provide or enable storage, rather than to develop assays as the response implies, and 8.15 (the committee would like more information on the evidence that is being collected on toxin types other than C & D causing botulism in UK ruminants). Dr Steve Wyllie agreed to liaise with APHA in addressing the committee’s concern on the response provided in ACM/1387.

Work in progress. Steve Wyllie to update members.

ACM/MIN/99 Para 

Topic and action required

Action Taken

8.3

Salmonella Typhimurium in humans

(24% of human isolates were S Typhimurium) and incident rate in pigs (first quarter of 2021 had 21 incidents compared to 18 incidents in 2020 and below 10 in previous years) which reveals a picture of continuous increasing incidents of S. Typhimurium. Salmonella in Livestock report in 2020 also suggests that there has been a greater than 10% increase in overall Salmonella in incidents in pigs over that period of time. When a similar query on this pathogen was raised at the last committee meeting APHA attributed the increases to the system used to collect data and indicated that they were considering a more structured survey of Salmonella prevalence across the pig industry. Dr Wyllie agreed to seek up to date advice on this matter for the committee.

Work in progress. Steve Wyllie to update members.