Transparency data

Update on the work of other advisory committees - for information   - October 2026

Published 12 October 2026

Paper for Information.

Science Council (SC)

Summary

Updated: September 2026.

Science Council is currently working on its next piece of work reviewing food safety during system disruptions.  The Council had an expert elicitation workshop on 2 July bringing together key UK experts to consider representative case studies of system disruption (extreme weather events, contamination etc) to identify risk cascades impacting UK food safety and propose interventions to build resilience.  This will feed into the project report and recommendations due in late summer (possibly early autumn).

Further Information

Next plenary: 6th October 2026.

Chair: Professor John O’Brien

Secretariat: sciencecouncil@food.gov.uk

Website: Science Council Science Council

Advisory Committee for Social Science (ACSS)

Summary

Updated: September 2026.

Last meeting: 10th April 2026 (16th plenary)

Key discussion items included:

• Analytic Unit Update
• Working groups updates (Assurance, Understanding Regulatory Change, Economics, Wider Consumer Interests)
• Science Council update
• Evidence review of regulatory interventions to improve food system outcomes: Discussion of key findings and next steps

Four working groups are currently active, supporting the development of a range of research activity, including exploring impact metrics for the National Food Crime Unit (NFCU) and developing an evidence base to inform the future of food regulation programme.

Further Information

The next open meeting (17th Plenary) of the ACSS will be 11th November 2026. We anticipate the agenda will be focused on food hypersensitivity research, including key findings from work exploring the FSAs provision of information guidance

Chair: Julie Hill

Secretariat: acss@food.gov.uk

Website: Advisory Committee for Social Science Advisory Committee for Social Science

Advisory Committee on Novel Foods and Processes (ACNFP)

Summary

Updated: 20th July 2026.

Dr Camilla Alexander-White will step down as Chair of the Committee in November. An Interim Chair will be appointed, and their first meeting will be the 179th ACNFP meeting in November.

ACNFP Committee meeting 17th June 2026:

• A successful hybrid meeting focusing on food innovation and projects on cell cultivated products supported by DSIT funding to the FSA.

• The Committee reviewed three full novel food applications on a range of high-priority topics. The first for precision fermented food (Human-equivalent lactoferrin alpha RP2296) completing the hazard identification stage. The second was the first full review of a CBD product with a range of cannabinoids present at substantive amounts (RP450). The Committee identified key principles on managing the review of the toxicity and agreed to complete the initial review of the application at the next available meeting. The Committee also continued their review of one of the first applications for cell-cultivated products (CCPs) (cell-cultivated duck RP2241). This considered responses from the applicant. The Committee agreed that the identity and form of the novel food is now clear and assessment can move forward to potential hazards for the product.

• The Committee commented on the FSA owned draft supplementary guidance for cell-cultivated products (CCP) on toxicology and growth media elements of CCP safety. This supports CCP Sandbox objectives and encourages high-quality applications.

• The Committee also commented on the 2025-2026 Annual Report ensuring it accurately reflects the achievements and outputs of the work of the Committee and its subgroups over the last year.

ACNFP-PGT Subcommittee meeting - 28th July 2026:

Successful half-day meeting, where the Sub-committee continued their horizon scanning of genetic technologies for foods and feeds from microorganisms, plants and animals. A Member of the PGT Subcommittee also provided an overview of current metabolomic data analysis methods, explaining their intended uses, limitations, and using examples to demonstrate best practice.

ACNFP-CCP Subgroup meeting - July 22nd:

A meeting of the CCP Subgroup was held on 22nd July to provide their expertise in reviewing the suitability check process for CCP applications  also had the opportunity to discuss the level of information required to appropriately establish the identity of a CCP as a novel food to support risk assessment activities of the main ACNFP Committee. There is currently no planned date for the next meeting of the Subgroup.

ACNFP-CBD sub-group:

It should be noted that this sub-group concluded its formal work as a group in January 2025. However, if new scientific information becomes available, expert members from ACNFP and COT will be reconvened ad hoc to advise the FSA on the relevance of the new work to the FSAs conclusions and advice on CBD.

Further Information

Next ACNFP meeting: 16th and 17th September 2026 (Hybrid).

Next ACNFP-PGT meeting: 20th Oct 2026 (Virtual).

Next ACNFP-CCP Subgroup: TBC (Virtual)

Chair: Dr Camilla Alexander-White

Secretariat: acnfp@food.gov.uk

Website: Advisory Committee on Novel Foods and Processes Advisory Committee on Novel Foods and Processes

Advisory Committee on the Microbiological Safety of Food (ACMSF)

Summary

Updated: 18th August 2026.

Last meeting: 17th June 2026 (plenary meeting) 18th June 2026 (Horizon Scanning workshop).

The Committee’s 112th plenary meeting was on the 17th of June 2026.

• Gauri Godbole (Chair Subgroup) gave an update on the work of the Listeria subgroup
• Buddy Steiner-Lawson (FSA) gave an update on the Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS)
• Rachael Shillitoe, Robin Clifford (FSA) gave an update on Wave 11 of food and you 2 survey
• Coccidiostats paper update (Martin Briggs, ACMSF member) – Reserved Business
• EFIG update (Anthony Wilson, FSA) – Reserved Business 
• Incidents and Outbreaks update (Jacqui McCormick, FSA) - Reserved Business
• Explanation of thresholds (Darren Holland, FSA) - Reserved Business
• FBD progress update (Linden Jack, FSA) - Reserved Business

Further Information

Next meeting: 22nd October 2026 in York.

Chair: Mr Alec Kyriakides

Secretariat: acmsf@food.gov.uk

Website: Advisory Committee on the Microbiological Safety of food Advisory Committee on the Microbiological Safety of food

Advisory Committee on Animal Feeding stuffs (ACAF)

Summary

Updated: 17th September 2026.

Last meeting: 10th September 2026.

10th September 2026 ACAF Meeting Summary:

• Microplastics in feed discussion
• Members received a presentation on the manufacturing and production process
• EFSA consultation update and feedback
• Self-evaluation of Committee experience

Further Information

Next meeting: 16th December 2026.

Interim Chair: Professor Nick Wheelhouse

Secretariat: acaf@food.gov.uk

Website: Advisory Committee on animal feedingstuffs Advisory Committee on animal feedingstuffs

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

Summary

Updated: September 2026.

Last meeting:  8th September 2026 Committee on Toxicity Meeting - GOV.UK

At their September meeting the Committee discussed a third draft statement on Ashwagandha and a SWOT Analysis Report on AI in Chemical Risk assessment.

They continued their work on the maternal diet, reviewing discussion papers on the effects of excess selenium on maternal health and on phytoestrogens in the maternal diet.

They also received an update on Horizon Scanning and a presentation on the bioavailability of supplements research (reserved).

The paper TOX/2026/30 Ashwagandha (Reserved, modified version) is not yet available. It is currently being prepared for publication and will be published on this page shortly 8th September 2026 Committee on Toxicity Meeting - GOV.UK

Further Information

Next meeting: 20th of October 2026 (Hybrid).

Chair: Rev Professor Lesley Stanley

Secretariat: COT@food.gov.uk

Website: Committee on Toxicity Committee on Toxicity

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

Summary

Updated: September 2026.

Last meeting: 2nd July 2026 (joint with COM).

• Presentation on germline and novel epigenetics modalities
• COM weight of evidence
• Horizon scanning
• Case for change: the challenge to develop a better approach to assessing risk of cancer caused by chemicals

Further Information

Next meeting: 19th November 2026.

Further meetings: 11th March, 8th July, and 18th November 2027.

Chair: Professor David Harrison

Secretariat: COC@ukhsa.gov.uk

Website: Committee on Carcinogenicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment - GOV.UK

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

Summary

Updated: September 2026.

Last meeting: 2nd July 2026 (joint with COC).

See above.

Further Information

Next meeting: 5th November 2026.

Agenda to be confirmed.

Further meetings: 18th February, 10th June, 25th November 2027.

Chair: Prof Gareth Jenkins

Secretariat: COM@ukhsa.gov.uk

Website: Committee on Mutagenicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment - GOV.UK

Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN)

Summary

Updated: September 2026.

Last meetings:

17th June 2026:

• Nutrition and maternal health (closed)
• Vitamin D requirements for dark-skinned population groups (closed)
• Health effects of meat and modelling UK meat intakes (closed)
• Infant feeding survey

18th June 2026 : SACN horizon scanning:

• Review of UK dietary reference values (DRVs) for micronutrients
• Processed food and health – monitoring
• Biomonitoring of non-sugar sweeteners (closed)
• Prioritisation discussions: wholegrain, protein, iodine

Other meetings:

• SACN working group on free sugars definition: 5 August 2026
• SACN Subgroup on Maternal and Child Nutrition (SMCN): 28 October 2026

Further Information

Next meeting: 19th November 2026.

Further meetings: To be confirmed.

Chair: Professor Julie Lovegrove

Secretariat: SACN@dhsc.gov.uk

Website: Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) - GOV.UK