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Scientific Committee Meeting - 22 September 2025

Members Present

  • Martin Cormican (Chair) (MC)
  • Alan Kelly (AK)
  • Andrew Flanagan (AF)
  • Ann Marie Part (AMP)
  • Dagmar Stengel (DS)
  • Dolores O’Riordan (DOR)
  • Geraldine Duffy (GD)
  • Kevin Cashman (KC)
  • Lois O’Connor (LOC)
  • Mark Fenelon (MF)
  • Séamus Fanning (SF)

FSAI Staff Present

  • Wayne Anderson (WA)
  • Mary Flynn (MFl)
  • Micheál O’Mahony (MOM)
  • Rob Phillips (RP)
  • Karl McDonald (KMcD)
  • Chloe Glennon (CG)
  • Judith Giles (JG)

Apologies

  • Anne Molloy (AM)
  • Ita Kinahan (IK)
  • Montserrat Gutierrez (MG)
  • Pat O’Mahony (POM)
  • Lisa O’Connor (LiOC)

1. Disclosures of Interest

The Chair welcomed the members to the meeting. There were no disclosures of interest.

2. Matters Arising from the Meeting Minutes of 23 June 2025

Most actions were completed, with one item to be checked. Regarding the potential health impact of dietary recommendations that may deliver iron above the recommended requirements to a small proportion of the population, the Chair has discussed this with physicians who care for people with haemochromatosis. As more people who are at risk of iron accumulation are aware that they have a predisposition to iron accumulation and, as diagnosis of iron overload related to haemochromatosis is generally earlier nowadays than formerly, the risk to health from this is likely to be significantly less of a concern now than formerly.

3. Update from Biological Safety Subcommittee

Draft Report: Risk Ranking of Microbiological Hazards

GD noted that the risk ranking exercise has concluded and the draft report was circulated. It is a lengthy report, and a lot of work was put into it. There was significant input from Chloe Glennon (FSAI), plus good discussion by the Biological Safety Subcommittee, along with comments on an earlier draft from the Scientific Committee. GD noted this is the first time such an exercise was carried out in Ireland and processes used internationally were followed. CG presented an overview of the exercise carried out noting the report addresses the two components of the Request for Advice (RfA). She concluded that the results should be used as a prioritisation tool rather than a definitive risk ranking due to the uncertainties in the data. The following comments were noted:

  • The data used in the report is from 2019 so this may need to be highlighted more, given that there have been changes in outbreak data since e.g. L. monocytogenes.
  • The estimated cases for norovirus were queried as they are high, but research elsewhere and expert opinion suggests that norovirus is very common as a cause of infectious diarrhoea in the community and ascertained cases are considered to be a very small fraction of actual cases. 
  • The report should be clear that the risk ranking reflects, amongst other things, the extent to which a hazard is effectively controlled by current measures in place. This means that a low ranking does not support lessening existing controls.
  • The recommendations in the report should only relate to data gaps and limitations and not risk management strategies.
GD agreed to make the proposed changes to the report and address the comments received. The Chair asked for final comments to be added to the report by the end of the week. A meeting of the Biological Safety Subcommittee is due to take place in October, and the final report will be brought to the Scientific Committee for adoption in November. The team were thanked for this excellent piece of work.

Actions:

  • Members to add comments into the report by Friday 26 September.
  • Team to finalise the report for the November meeting.

Hepatitis E in Pigs & Pigmeat

GD confirmed that the WG circulated the draft report to the Biological Safety Subcommittee, and this will be discussed in depth at their next meeting in October. The aim is to present it to the Scientific Committee in November. It was noted that the messaging from the risk ranking report and the Hepatitis E report must align.

4. Update from Chemical Safety Subcommittee

Dioxins & PCBs WG

AF noted that a joint meeting of the Chemical Safety Subcommittee and the Dioxins & PCBs WG took place last week where the draft report was discussed. A lot of work had been done but there were more comments and suggestions from the members which must be addressed. The report will answer the questions in the RfA upfront in the report, and the more technical details will be available then to support the answers. The aim is to have the report for the November meeting.

5. Update from PHN Subcommittee

Scientific Recommendations for FBDG for Adolescents

KC confirmed that the dietary modelling for girls has been completed, and the results were discussed at the last PHN Subcommittee meeting on 9 September. The team is currently working on addressing the comments received. The next meeting will be scheduled in October, and the aim is to have the report ready for the November meeting.

6. Update from Food Hygiene Rating Systems Subcommittee

Evaluation of food hygiene rating systems and recommendations for Ireland

DOR said the members met twice in July and August and have started drafting the answers to the questions in the RfA. Due to extra work loads and annual leave, the group will meet in person in November to finalise the report. The aim is to have a draft for the December meeting of the Scientific Committee.

7. Work Timelines Update

8. Date of Next Meeting

The timelines for completion of the work were reviewed. It was agreed that the planned meeting in October would be cancelled. The next meeting is scheduled for 20 November. However, as several reports are due in November, an additional meeting will be scheduled in late November/early December. Reserve meetings will also be scheduled in January and February.

Actions:

  • JG to confirm the dates for the additional meetings.

9. AOB

There was no correspondence received, and no other business discussed.

The Chair thanked everyone for their participation.