Terms of reference

To advise at the request of: Department of Health and Social Care, Food Standards Agency, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Department for Transport, Department of Trade and Industry, Health and Safety Executive, Pesticides Safety Directorate, Veterinary Medicines Directorate, Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency, Environment Agency, UKHSA, Home Office, Welsh Assembly Government, Scottish Executive, Northern Ireland Executive, other government departments and agencies.

  1. To assess and advise on the mutagenic risk to people 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
  2. To advise on important general principles or new scientific discoveries in connection with mutagenic risks, to coordinate with other bodies concerned with the assessment of mutagenic risks and to present recommendations for mutagenicity testing.