Advisory Committee on the Microbiological Safety of Food

INFORMATION PAPER

Updates from other Committees

Science Council  

Last open meeting: 8 December 2022 

Summary 

·       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) 

Jan 24 update: 

·       The Kitchen Life 2 working group has now completed activity supporting the award winning KL2 Social Science project (which used motion-sensitive cameras to explore food safety behaviours in households and FBO kitchens). Final outputs from this project are available here.   

·       The secretariat has completed internal consultation on new possible areas of work and identified two priority areas (ultra processed foods and regulated projects reform) which they are taking forward with FSA leads.     

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

Advisory Committee on Novel Foods and Processes (ACNFP) 

Last meeting 163^rd: 15 Nov 2023 

·       Successful meeting. 3 dossiers reviewed requiring a mixture of Request for Further Information (RFIs) and refinement of  Committee Advice Documents (CADs). 

·       1 returning dossiers had further information requested to answer data gaps. 

·       A draft programme for a proposed workshop on the assessment of allergenicity of new protein sources was discussed with the workshop to be held early 2024. 

·       A draft safety assessment on outcomes developed and agreed by the PGT Subcommittee on 3 GM applications was reviewed, as well as  draft safety assessment outcome on a CBD paper was also finalised. 

·       Committee provided with an overview of the upcoming applications to be considered for novel food safety assessment. 

Next meeting:  7^th February 2024 (hybrid) 

Products of Genetic Technology (PGT) Subcommittee   

Last (PGT) meeting: 12th December 2023   

Highlight: Minutes of PGT10 to be amended; first reviewing of the new full GM applications RP307, RP1791 and RP1869 and their draft Committee Advice Documents; Committee Advice Documents are to be amended, and requests for further information to be sent. 

Next meeting (PGT12): 31^st January 2024 

CBD Subgroup 

Last CBD meeting: 7^th November 2023 

Highlight: The Subgroup held its final meeting of the year, after the required break in between meetings. Members were asked to approach the previous group B and THC contaminant actions of reading through toxicology data over the summer and feeding this back during this meeting. Members have requested a hybrid meeting for the next meeting and this has been organised accordingly. 

The lead secretariats have developed and made live a CBD-focused website page that is located on the main ACNFP website, similar to the PGT Subcommittee.   

Next main meeting: 1^st February 2024 (CBD9 – Topic TBC) 

Update 13/11/23: Joint position paper from ACNFP & COT on establishing provisional ADI for pure form CBD in foods | Advisory Committee on Novel Foods and Processes was published on ACNFP website 12/10. 

Advisory Committee on Animal Feeding stuffs (ACAF) 

Last meeting: 14 December 2023 

14 December 2023 ACAF Meeting Summary 

·       Minutes discussed from the last meeting, any changes that need to be made have been noted. (ACAF/88/01) 

·       Dossier for assessment RP1341 Avizyme 1505 - the application was reviewed, and the applicant will be asked to provide further information. 

·       Dossier for assessment RP1280 Formaldehyde - the application was reviewed, and the applicant will be asked to provide further information. 

·       Dossier for assessment RP1317-1350 Vitamin D - the application was reviewed, and the applicant will be asked to provide further information.  

·       Dossier for assessment RP1393 Ronozyme - the application was reviewed, and the applicant will be asked to provide further information. 

·       Reviewed the RFI responses for RP812, RP814, RP1015, RP1039/40 and RP1111. 

·       Draft opinions were evaluated for RP746, RP1047, RP1087, RP709. The members provided feedback on the content and finalised previous opinions. 

·       A draft document detailing recommendations to applicants for their applications to the FSA was presented to ACAF for comment.    

Next meeting: 31 January 2024 

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

Last meeting:12^th December 2023. 

Topics discussed included: 

At their December meeting the Committee discussed papers on the risk of emerging marine biotoxins in British shellfish, focusing on pectenotoxins, and a scoping paper on advice on the risk to human health from consumption of bivalve molluscs (shellfish) harvested from UK waters associated with marine biotoxins. 

They were also provided with background information on the regulation of food supplements, following correspondence from the Council for Responsible Nutrition. 

 As well as a second draft statement on the safety of ginger supplement use in pregnancy, two discussion papers on Bisphenol A, they also commented on a draft EFSA Opinion on polychlorinated naphthalenes and a first draft the Plant-based drinks Working Group’s report (reserved).  

The committee also discussed the draft advice of the AEJEG on steviol glycosides and 2-Hydroxy-4-methoxybenzaldehyde (both reserved).  

Next meeting: 6^th February 2024.  

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

Last meeting:16 November 2023 

Workshop  

“If we can't use animal data, what can we do? How is carcinogenicity assessed in the cosmetics and personal care industry?” 

Next meeting:  21^st March 2024

Further meetings: July, November 2024 

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

Last meeting:   12^th October 2023 

Topics discussed included:    

·       Titanium dioxide 

·       QSAR guidance 

·       Lay summaries for COM website 

Next meeting: 29^th February 2024

Further meetings: June, October 2024

Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN)

Awaiting update on the meeting 23 November 2023.  

Secretariat

February 2024