6th ACSS plenary - Dec 2020

Agenda

 

Minutes

Summary

The 6th Open Meeting of the Advisory Committee for Social Sciences (ACSS) included an update from the Secretariat on member reappointment, ad hoc requests, and expenses. Further updates were given from the ACSS:

• The working groups gave updates at their various work stages with the two new working groups, Kitchen Life and Climate Change highlighting the initial steps taken since the last meeting
• Professor Sandy Thomas, Science Council Chair gave an update on the outputs from the Science Council working groups.
• Catriona McCallion, Science Council Secretariat updated on developments with the third party evidence project
• Volunteers were sought for the Kitchen Life and Climate Change working groups
• Professor Ann Murcott and Joy Dobbs presented a paper on the origins of Food and You

 

Papers

6.1: FSA Social Science Update (item 5)

Summary

The paper gives an overview of key social science Food Standards Agency activities from June - December 2020. Examples of work includes:

• Update on changes to Food and You survey
• Providing evidence to the Trade and Agriculture Commission
• Input into the food hypersensitivities work programme

 

6.2: Assurance working group update (item 7)

Summary

Update on the Assurance Working Group and the ongoing work including:

• Evaluation criteria and toolkit for "What constitutes good science"?
• Guiding principles on other legitimate factors

 

6.3: Kitchen Life working group update (item 7)

Summary

The paper sets out the working group proposed timelines, future activities, and the objective to examine kitchen behaviours in domestic and commercial kitchens.

 

6.4: Climate change working group update (item 7)

Summary

The paper covers:

• Background to the working group
• Potential questions to be answered by the group
• Next stages of engagement with stakeholders

 

 

6.5: The Critical Appraisal of Third-Party Evidence: Terms of Reference (item 9)

Summary

The paper sets out the terms of reference for the working group to answer the question:

How should the FSA evaluate the robustness of evidence submitted by non-commissioned third parties in an effort to change our policy, in order to ensure that the evidence considered to inform our advice and recommendations is sufficiently robust and based on the most up to date scientific information?

 

6.6: SAC Update and Working Groups (item 12)

Summary

Updates to this paper cover:

• Science Council last meeting updates and working groups
• The Advisory Committee on Novel Foods and Processes updates
• Mapping of working groups under other committees

 

6.7: ‘Food and You’ Origins and Scientific underpinnings (item 13)

Summary

This paper was written by former members of the ACSS, Professor Ann Murcott and Joy Dobbs, and examines the origins of Food and You and the underpinnings of the original survey.