Health Scientific Committees Scientific Committee on Food Outcome of discussions

Minutes of the 112 ^th Meeting of the Scientific Committee on Food held on 3 -4 ^th June 1998 In Brussels

ATTENDANCE LIST

LISTE DES PARTICIPANTS

TEILNEHMERLISTE

Members/Membres/Mitglieder

Mme. S. BARLOW

MM. A. CARERE, I. ELMADFA (2 ^nd.Vice-Chairman, Vice-President, Stellv. Vorsitzender)

Mme. A. FERRO-LUZZI

MM. A. FLYNN, R. FRIES, W. GRUNOW

Mme. A. KNAAP (1 ^st. Vice-Chairman, Vice-President, Stellv. Vorsitzender)

MM. KNUDSEN (Chairman, President, Vorsitzender), S. LINDGREN, B. MOSELEY, A. PALOU,

P. TOBBACK, P. VERGER, J.-M. WAL

Apologies/Excusés/Entschuldigt

MM. D. BOSKOU, W. SARIS

Invited experts

Mme. M. DELCOUR-FIRQUET item 6

Mme. R. HANS item 6

Mme. C. HARRIS item 6

MM. O. MEYER item 6, P. ELIAS item 9

Commission/Kommission

MM. P. J. WAGSTAFFE (DG XXIV/B/3) item 6, M. WALSH (DG XXIV/B/2) item 6, C. DECKART (DG XXIV/B/1) item 13, W. DE KLERCK (DG XXIV/B)

Mme. M. LAURIDSEN (DG XXIV/B/1) (second day)

MM. B. MATHIOUDAKIS (DG III/E/1), G. SCHREIBER (DG III/E/1), O. ROHTE (DG III/E/1)

Secretariat/Secrétariat/Sekretariat

Mr. M. A. GRANERO ROSELL (DG XXIV/B/3)

Mme. J. THOLLEBEKE (DG XXIV/B/3)

1.Adoption of the agenda

The draft agenda was revised and adopted. The following items initially included in the draft agenda could not be addressed during the meeting due to lack of time: additives (general report from the Working Group); contaminants (general report from the Working Group); general information from the Commission services; materials in contact with food: draft evaluation of additional list of substances for food contact materials.

2. Apologies for absence

Apologies were received from Dr. Saris and Dr. Boskou.

3. Declarations of interest

None

4. Matters arising from the minutes of the 111th meeting

There was nothing substantial to report from the minutes of the previous meeting.

5. New requests for opinions since the last meeting

The Chairman recalled the new requests already announced in the previous plenary session, the request for evaluation as additive 4-Hexyl-resorcinol and the dossiers on irradiation.

The secretariat circulated advanced copies of the draft letter to the Chairman specifying the terms of reference for the upper safe levels of daily intakes of individual vitamins and minerals and for the nature, essential composition and other requirements of foods intended to meet the expenditure of intense muscular effort (foods for sportsmen).

DG III announced the intention to submit a dossier on the flavouring substance coumarin to the SCF. The secretariat also informed that new information concerning cyclamate had been made available and was going to be submitted shortly to the SCF.

6. Pesticide residues in foods for infants and young children

Mme. Delcour-Firquet and Mme. R. Hans, members of the Scientific Committee on Plants, Mme. C. Harris and Mr. O. Meyer, took part in the discussions on this item as invited experts.

In order to allow the Commission to fully understand the scientific implications of the Committee's advice in its opinion on a maximum residue limit (MRL) of 0.01 mg/kg for pesticides in manufactured foods intended for infants and young children, expressed on 19 September 1997, the Committee was asked a number of additional questions as a matter of urgency.

The Chairman reported on the special Ad Hoc Working Group meeting held the previous week on 26 of May on this subject.

The rapporteur introduced the background of the subject and the draft opinion.

After in depth discussions the new advice was adopted. The full opinion, which supplements the previous one, appears as Annex I. the Committee recommended that the new opinion was issued together with the previous one to avoid the conclusions being taken out of context.

7. Applicability of the ADI to infants

This item could not be discussed at the previous plenary session.

The rapporteur introduced the draft opinion. The discussion could not be finalised because it was considered necessary to verify the relationship of the draft opinion with previous statements of the SCF. The item will therefore be included in the agenda of the next plenary session.

8. Intake and Exposure - Discussion paper on Intake and Exposure

Dr. Verger introduced his general discussion document on this subject, which addressed the general need of intake and exposure analyses relevant for all SCF Working Groups. The document was considered a valuable contribution to the further work. It was decided to convene the WG as soon as the capacity of the secretariat will allow. In the meantime, Dr. Verger will prepare the work further and the members agreed to send suggestions to complete areas not mentioned in the document and to come back on this issue at the next plenary to examine ways forward.

9. Novel Foods and processes (including irratiated food) - Draft opinion on the irradiation of 8 different types of foodstuffs

The rapporteur introduced the report of the WG on the irradiation of 8 different types of foodstuffs, based on the submission from one Member State. The dossiers had been examined by an Ad Hoc Group and also the Nutrition, Hygiene and Microbiology, and the Novel Foods Groups.

The Committee was informed that the directive on irradiation had not been finally adopted yet, contrary to what had been initially expected when the request was made to the Committee to evaluate the dossiers as a matter of urgency. This will allow the SCF some more time if needed.

The Working Groups had identified some additional information that would ease the evaluation of some of the dossiers. There was also a number of comments from the Plenary to the draft opinion. It was decided in the light of less urgency to allow the Working Group on Novel Foods and Irradiation to examine them in detail in order to revise the draft opinion and present it to the next plenary.

10. Review of the SCF 1998 Working Programme

Due to lack of time, only a short discussion could take place. The discussion adressed mainly to the area of nutrition. The full Working Programme will be discussed in detail at the next plenary.

As regards the nutrition area the two subjects mentioned in item 5 "New requests for opinions" were considered. The subject of foods intended to meet the expenditure of intense muscular effort, especially for sportsmen, was going to be dealt with by the Group on Nutrition and Dietetic Foods which already had discussed organisational aspects and would start considering the matter in its next meeting.

The Committee decided that the subject of upper safe levels of daily intakes of vitamins and minerals should involve members of the Committee both from the field of nutrition and of toxicology. Members of the Committee who expressed their interest agreed to meet on the afternoon of 15 September 1998 for a first discussion concerning organisation of the work on the subject. The Committee decided that ad-hoc members with expertise in specific fields relevant to the subject should also be invited.

Following questions from members to clarify the terms of reference the secretariat said that this would be done by the Secretariat in a background paper to be prepared.

11. Food Microbiology and Hygiene - Draft opinion on the risk to health from fruit and vegetables and their products grown in areas where cholera has reached epidemic levels

The Chairman of the Working Group introduced the subject and the draft opinion prepared by the Working Group the previous week. After a discussion where some changes were introduced in the text the opinion was adopted.

The full opinion appears in Annex II.

12. Flavours

It was decided that it was appropriate to initiate the work by holding an initial meeting in this area incorporating outside experts specialized in the field. The purpose of such a meeting should be to consider possible need for revising the present procedures of the SCF for safety assessment of chemically defined flavours. Several members expressed their interest in taking part in this meeting.

13. Follow-up on information on the 5th R&D Framework Programme and Food Safety relevant for the SCF

It was decided that proposals for possible themes for research relevant to the activities of the SCF should be sent to the Chairman. He would take them into account during consultations on these matters.

14. SCF Rules of procedure

A new version of the rules of procedure was submitted to the Committee. This version had been prepared with the Chair, the two Vicechair at a meeting the previous day which took into account the comments received, as agreed at the previous plenary. Due to lack of time the item could not be fully discussed and therefore was defered to the next Plenary.

15. SCF - Organisational matters

- 15.1. SCF - Information pack (updated)

- 15.2. Follow-up on the use of e-mail by the SCF

A new version of the information pack had been circulated by the Secretariat. These items could not be considered due to lack of time.

16. Scientific Co-operation

The Commission services reported briefly on developments in this area. The Chairman suggested that it would be helpful for the Committee to receive documents on this subject in advance for future meetings.

17. Changes in the schedule of meetings

No changes to the schedule of meeting were necessary.

18. Adoption of these minutes

These minutes were adopted by written procedure.

ANNEXES

ANNEX I:

Further advice on the opinion of the SCF expressed on 19/9/97 on a maximum residue limit (MRL) of 0.01 mg/Kg for pesticides in foods intended for infants and young children.

ANNEX II:

Opinion on the risk to health from fruit and vegetables and their products grown in areas where cholera has reached epidemic levels.

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