ACNFP Subcommittee on Cell Cultivated Products (CCPs) – Terms of Reference

ACNFP_CCP Terms of Reference

The ACNFP is aware of new developments in the field of cell cultivation techniques used in the production of food and feed, and the cell cultivated products (CCP) regulatory sandbox the FSA is running through 2025/26. Given the importance, and complexity of the issues involved, an ACNFP Subgroup is established with the following terms of reference.

Role

To report to the Advisory Committee on Novel Food & Processes (ACNFP) and advise the Food Standards Agency and Food Standards Scotland on any matters relating to cell cultivated products (CCPs) destined for food and feed purposes, having regard where appropriate to the views of relevant expert bodies.

CCPs cover a variety of foods that can be made using a production process without slaughter or traditional farming and agricultural practices. This Subgroup will focus on cells isolated from animals, including cells from meat, seafood, fat and offal, grown in a controlled environment, and then harvested and processed to make a final food product.

Terms of Reference

• Provide expert technical scientific advice on issues relating to CCPs, specifically those that are produced through the culturing of animal tissue cells in cell culture.
• Supporting the development of FSA technical guidance to inform the risk assessment of CCPs by FSA and FSS. Agreeing on evidence based minimum data requirements to establish the safety of a CCP Novel Food, as well as outlining data not needed for these dossiers.
• Provide support to the development of a proportionate risk assessment framework within the novel food guidance to assess the safety of CCP products as part of the market authorisation process.
• Support the FSA through technical scientific advice in delivering the aims of the CCP Sandbox and wider government engineering biology strategy.
• Highlight key research, regulatory and surveillance gaps relating to the introduction of novel CCPs to the food and feed market and identify areas that are considered a priority.

Outputs

The ACNFP Subgroup on cell cultivated products (CCPs) will be given mandates by the FSA via the ACNFP to perform work to the terms of reference outlined above. The ACNFP-CCP Subgroup will report back to the ACNFP on its work programme, discussions, outputs and recommendations. It is expected there will be a standing update item on the ACNFP meeting agenda.

The ACNFP will be responsible for delivering the work of the CCP Subgroup to the FSA in the most transparent way possible. Therefore, all outputs and advice produced by the Subgroup will be reviewed by the ACNFP at suitable points in development. An annual report on the work of the subgroup will be included in the ACNFP annual report.

Membership

The ACNFP-CCP Subgroup is composed of a small core of experts from the main ACNFP Committee, supplemented with experts brought in on an ad hoc basis with expertise relevant to the field under review, expecting meetings of 8-10 members reimbursed for their time as in ACNFP. The experts involved may change from meeting to meeting and will make use of relevant expertise of ACNFP members as well as the specific expertise of co-opted members from the register of specialists. The Chair of the CCP Subgroup will lead on recruiting or co-opting the membership of the Subgroup.

Ways of working

A member of the ACNFP secretariat will be in attendance and provide administrative support to the Subgroup as well as a communication channel with the ACNFP. 

The Chair of the CCP Subgroup and Chair of the ACNFP will work together in making sure all members of the ACNFP and the Subgroup are aware of the work programme and all matters arising, and that the ACNFP have the opportunity to review and advise on all matters arising in a timely, transparent and relevant way. The Chair of the CCP sub-committee will lead on delivering all relevant work to deadlines agreed with the ACNFP.