Food Law News - UK - 1998

28 Ocotber 1998: ADMINISTRATION - Review of the Public Analyst Arrangements in England and Wales


DoH Press Release (1998/0555), 30 November 1998

Meeting of The Advisory Committee On The Microbiological Safety Of Food

The Advisory Committee on the Microbiological Safety of Food (ACMSF) held its thirty first meeting on 22 October 1998 and discussed the following topics:

Matters arising: infectious salmon anaemia (ISA)
The Committee was informed that the possibility of studying a sample of fish farm workers for the presence of antibodies to the ISA virus was under consideration but there appeared to be no reliable test for checking human exposure. The members remain confident that, on the currently available evidence, there is no risk to humans.

Report of the Working Group on Microbial Antibiotic Resistance in Relation to Food Safety
The Committee was provided with a (partial) draft of the Working Group's report. Members offered a number of detailed comments for inclusion in the next draft which the Working Group will consider at its next meeting. ACMSF members will have the opportunity to comment further on the draft report when a revised version is circulated next month.

Openness
The Committee discussed proposals for greater openness in order to increase public awareness and understanding of its work. For future meetings, Committee agendas, minutes and, subject to certain exceptions covering sensitive information such as commercial in confidence or pre-publication scientific papers, its papers will be made available. Copies of the minutes of the meetings are available from the Secretariat.

Microbiological food surveillance projects
Pursuant to the Committee's role in advising the Government on its microbiological food surveillance programme, members considered a listing of microbiological food surveillance projects funded by Government. Members emphasised the need to ensure that studies were properly targeted and expressed a wish to discuss the relevance of surveillance at a future meeting.

Working Group on Salmonella in Eggs
The Working Group recently held its first meeting. Members considered the Group's programme of work, how this might best be approached, areas it needs to investigate and potential sources of information it will require. These ideas will be developed further at the Group's next meeting.


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