FSA Board Meeting - March 2024

The agenda and papers for the FSA Board meeting, held on Wednesday 20 March 2024 at the Crowne Plaza, Wellington Street, Leeds are available on the Food Standards Agency website: www.food.gov.uk/board-papers/...
The agenda for this meeting included:
- Governance Review
- Regulated Products
- Precision Breeding
- Foodborne Disease
- Strategic Risk Management
- Report from the Chair of the Welsh Food Advisory Committee

[@kaaring]

Would be very helpful to have timestamps showing when the specific agenda points are being discussed

[@kaaring]

Eg foodborne disease 1:51:00-2:20:00

[@2010Sisko]

0:16: ⏰ Chair unable to attend in person, Deputy Chair taking over for second half of meeting.
0:16: Chair unable to attend in person, Deputy Chair taking over
0:55: Deputy Chair familiar with meetings, appointed at start of year
1:13: Interim Deputy Chair thanked for work in previous year
14:29: ⚖ Discussion on decision-making delegation and board's role in FSA governance.
14:29: The board is the ultimate decision-maker in FSA governance.
14:44: Delegations of decision-making to the executive for day-to-day operations.
14:50: Enhancing clarity and understanding of decision-making responsibilities.
26:45: ⏰ Discussion on evaluating the decision in December during the annual governance review.
26:45: Proposal to evaluate or audit the decision in December during the annual governance review.
27:14: Options for evaluation include asking arak to look at it or incorporating it into the board effectiveness review.
27:27: Decision on evaluation method to be made in December during the annual governance review.
39:43: 📋 Update on upcoming consultation release and board subgroup recommendations.
39:43: Consultation on the topic expected to be released by end of month or early April.
40:10: Acknowledgement and gratitude towards the board subgroup for their recommendations.
40:35: Extensive discussions and considerations took place prior to final recommendations.
52:59: 📊 Discussion on feed additives and GMOs, emphasizing clarity and consumer interests.
52:59: Importance of clarifying the percentage breakdown of feed additives and GMOs in renewals.
54:01: Proposal to let current approvals continue to focus on reviewing new products for consumer benefit.
54:22: Agreement on the need for public consultation on new products entering the market.
1:06:00: ⚙ Discussion on progress monitoring, renewals breakdown, and future considerations.
1:06:00: Progress monitoring at business committee and reporting to board
1:06:27: 104 renewals breakdown: 83 feed, 13 GMO, 8 smoke flavorings
1:07:05: Consideration of other Regulators opinions and upcoming renewals
1:19:40: 🔑 Setting a new approach grounded in UK's science for regulated products.
1:19:40: Opportunity for UK to lead in regulated products with excellent science
1:20:17: Exciting time for FSA and UK to make a difference
1:20:44: Clear expectation of ambition and urgency set by board
1:33:32: ⚖ Discussion on the legal requirements for organic products and traceability in cross-border trade.
1:33:32: Legal requirements for excluding PB in organic products need to be addressed by the government.
1:33:57: Explicit requirement for traceability and referencing methodologies for excluding PB to enable cross-border trade.
1:46:56: ⚙ Setting standards for managing without need for change in regulatory framework
1:46:56: Officials urged to proceed with implementation plan
1:47:32: Focus on convergence of processes for market authorization and regulated products
1:47:53: Explicit recognition of the need to regulate the discussed products
1:59:52: ⚕ Increase in detection methods leads to more confirmed cases in hospitals.
1:59:52: Roll out of increased PCR testing in hospitals
2:00:24: Slight decrease in total hospitalizations with gastrointestinal symptoms
2:00:30: Proportion of cases attributed to specific pathogens is rising
2:13:20: ⚙ Discussion on unpasteurized cheese risk variations and recommendations for foodborne disease work.
2:13:20: Recommendations for the board include considering variations in risk levels of unpasteurized cheeses in foodborne disease work.
2:13:35: Not all unpasteurized cheese poses the same risk, with differences based on texture and salt content.
2:13:40: Some rind wash soft cheeses, even if pasteurized, can be more risky than certain unpasteurized cheeses.
2:26:02: 💬 Discussion on necessary infrastructure, Vets' change, and allergen labeling concerns.
2:26:02: Concerns raised about infrastructure readiness for upcoming changes
2:26:25: Appreciation for strong message on Vets' change and follow-up status
2:26:49: Allergen labeling issues highlighted, especially for online purchases
2:39:03: 🌱 Exploring opportunities for progressive approaches in Wales, including being a test bed for pilot studies.
2:39:03: Considering Wales as a location for pushing boundaries and demonstrating innovative approaches.
2:39:50: Planning site visits in North Wales to explore interesting food businesses and farm diversification examples.
2:52:39: ⚖ Resource allocation for audits varies among local authorities in different regions.
2:52:39: Resource allocation for audits differs between English local authorities and those in Wales and Northern Ireland.
2:53:02: Welsh and Northern Irish local authorities receive more funding for auditors compared to English local authorities.
2:53:21: Consideration of increasing audits in English local authorities may be needed in the context of other interventions.
3:06:09: 🌱 Discussion on sustainability in FSA Board Meeting
3:06:09: Opportunity to focus more on sustainability in future discussions
3:06:18: Sustainability should be proactively addressed rather than used as a throwaway term
3:06:40: Transition to role in food advisory capes discussed
Recapped youtu.be/undefined using Tammy AI@@kaaring