Members Present
- Jamie Knox - Dr Pepper [JK] Chair
- Alice McGlynn - Consultant [AMG]
- Dave Lang - Craft Butchers of Ireland [DL]
- Patrick Farrell - Keelings [PF]
- Paula Barry Walsh - DAFM (retired) [PBW]
- Jonathan Griffith - IHTA [JG]
- Elaine Clohosey - BWG Foods [EC]
- Mark Christal - Enterprise Ireland [MC]
- Dermott Jewell - CAI [DJ]
- Sorcha Kavanagh - Repak [SK]
- Janis Morrissey - Irish Heart Foundation [JM]
- Conor Mulvihill - DII [CM]
- Siobhan Murphy - HSE [SM],
Apologies
- Dale Crammond – Meat Industry IE [DC]
- Annette Sweeney – TUD [AS]
Absent
- Regina Sexton - UCC [RS]
- Adrian Cummins - RAI [AC]
- Eamonn Quinn - Kelsius [EQ]
- Catherine Morrison - BIM [CM]
- Andrew Mahon - Bord Bia [DR]
- Louise Reynolds - INDI [LR],
FSAI staff
- Gail Carroll [GC]
- Gerard Power [GP]
- Jane Ryder [JR]
- Rob Phillips [RP]
1. Welcome
Chair JK welcomed all attendees and provided a rundown of the agreed agenda before the meeting.
Actions:
- n/a
2. Agree minutes and actions from previous meeting – 11 September 2025
GP went through the minutes and actions from the previous meeting. MC queried if any future update relating to the listeria monocytogenes outbreak update from the September meeting was possible. GC said that this is a topic that can be discussed again at a Council meeting in 2026.
Minutes were agreed by Council with no amendments.
Actions:
- FSAI to upload agreed minutes to the FSAI website.
- GC to provide update on actions associated with listeria monocytogenes outbreak at a future meeting
3. FSCC Chair presentation to the FSAI Board for 2025
JK met with the FSAI Board on 02 December 2025 to provide the annual update provided to the Board on the work of the Council throughout the year. JK talked through the presentation given on the day that covered the following topics:
- FSCC membership updates in 2025
- An overview of the meetings held in May and September
- An overview of the 2025 FSCC Open Meeting held in February
- An update on the work of the FSCC subgroup set up to explore a Food Hygiene Rating Schemes (FHRS) throughout 2025
- Discussion on the proposed new FSCC workplan to come into effect from 2026
JK confirmed a Q&A session was held with the Board following the presentation and noted the complementary engagement from Board members in relation to the proposed workplan and the work of the FHRS subgroup.
Actions:
- n/a
4. The FSCC Open Meeting 2026
JK proposed a potential topic of misinformation as the theme for the 2026 meeting. Council members held a brief discussion in which it was agreed to proceed with this theme. JR then gave a coordination update, confirming the proposed date of the meeting would be 04 or 05 March 2026 and that this date should be agreed very soon. JR also updated that the location was yet to be sourced but that it should be confirmed in due course.
GC then led a discussion among the Council relating to the proposed theme, seeking their input to build content for discussion at the meeting. AMG stated the need for specific discussion, providing the public with clear examples of the risk posed to food safety. JG raised the potential inclusion on the topic of health claim regulation within industry. SK discussed the importance of critical thinking when discussing such topics and proposed the inclusion of a psychologist as a guest speaker at the event. GC welcomed all input from the Council and reminded that while no decision was made to date, the Council’s input would be sought in the build-up to the event.
Actions:
- GP to send hold the date invitations to Council once meeting date is confirmed.
5. FSCC Workplan 2026 - 2028
JK and GP led a discussion on recent topics for inclusion in the new workplan which had been recently sourced from Council members. AMG discussed the included proposed topic on the level of nitrates in Irish diets, with GC agreeing that the topic of PFA chemicals in food was a good addition and JK commenting that it may also provide a good opportunity to compare Irish legislation to other countries currently dealing with this topic. MC proposed an area to consider was on the topic of new technologies within the food industry, and their potential impact on food and ingredients. PBW then led a discussion on the suggested specialist topics included for inclusion versus the topic more general in scope, noting that general topics may be a more engaging subject for the public. SM complemented the suggestions to date and proposed a topic on the prevention of foodborne illnesses in future. GC spoke to the current public awareness around this topic and noted the inclusion of proposed topics relating to consumer education around food safety and the potential to better educate the public in relation to the product recall process currently practiced in Ireland. DJ raised the potential for future discussion on the topic of use by dates on perishable goods to enhance the publics knowledge on this issue.
JK closed discussions by asking Council members if they agreed with the suggested topics discussed a master list for the new FSCC workplan to begin in 2026. Council members unanimously agreed to use the new master list and that it would be reviewed for inclusions at future meetings as deemed necessary to pick up any topical issues that may arise in future that may warrant discussion by the Council.
Actions:
- GP to adopt the agreed FSCC workplan and source additions at future meetings
6. FSAI update to the FSCC
GC presented the latest FSAI update report to the Council, which was circulated in advance of the meeting for review, including the following topics:
- Published Food Safety Culture (FSC) Guidance Note from the FSAI
- Launch of a new module on the FSAI Learning Portal on the topic of Food Reformulation
- Recent FSAI audit of Ambient Storage & Distribution Food Business Operations and subsequent publication
- FSAI enforcement updates for August, September, and October
- FSAI publications since May
- Work of the FSAI Scientific Committee (SC)
JR then gave the Council an update on the 2025 Eurobarometer Survey on food safety from the European Food Safety Authority. GC also updated the Council on the work of the FSAI Food Reformation taskforce, noting that their work was due to end in December 2025 but has now been extended until December 2027.
GC also updated the Council on future discussions to be held between the EU and the UK in relation to current SPS agreements. GC then updated the Council regarding recent FSAI attendance at the 2025 EU Heads of Agencies (HoA) event in Copenhagen in November and praised engagement levels from Member State attendees. . GC proposed the share what information she can from future HoA events at Council meetings going forward.
JR then updated the Council to recent social media activity within the FSAI since the last meeting, discussing
- Potential future presentation to the Council on the topic of public interaction with the FSAI website
- Increase of requests for translation of FSAI website and Learning Portal content
Actions:
- n/a
7. FSCC subgroup on Food Hygiene Rating Schemes (FHRS)
Chair of subgroup PBW gave a presentation to the Council on all recent work of the FHRS subgroup in drafting a feedback report relating to the public consultation on this topic -. PBW gave a breakdown of feedback provided by all food business and consumer respondents, then spoke through the proposed next steps of the subgroup. PBW confirmed that the subgroup is currently at an advanced stage in drafting a report. Next steps will be to provide a draft to the Council for consideration and adoption and then to the FSAI Board.
PBW, DL and GC all praised the work carried out to date by analyst Kristin Anderson in the preparation of the public consultation report and input into the draft report to the FSAI Board. GC also thanked Council members for the help in disseminating details of the consultation to industry contacts and all the time and input provided by subgroup members throughout 2025.
Actions:
- GP to circulate final draft FHRS report to the Council for consideration and adoption in 2026
8. Meeting dates for 2026
JK proposed three meetings of the Council to be held in February, September, and December in 2026.
Actions:
• GP to circulate meeting invitation to Council members
9. AOB
JK thanked all Council members for their attendance and participation throughout 2025.
Actions:
- n/a