The UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) recently appointed 20 new independent experts to its Scientific Advisory Committees (SACs), which together with the Science Council and with the support of Joint Expert Groups, provide advice and challenge FSA on scientific strategy, risk assessment, and evidence-based decision-making.

The new appointments are as follows:

• Advisory Committee on Microbiological Safety of Food: Andrew MacLeod, Lead (Specialist) Environmental Health Officer, Food Control, Argyll and Bute Council; and Claire Tomaso, Food Safety Team Manager, Enfield Council
• Advisory Committee on Novel Foods and Processes: Dr. Lynn McIntyre, Senior Lecturer in Microbiology and Food Safety, Harper Adams University; Dr. Sophie Foley, Associate Professor in Microbiology, Edinburgh Napier University; Dr. Isabel Skypala, Consultant Allergy Dietician, Royal Brompton and Harefield Hospitals; and Dr. Meera Cush, Senior Managing Consultant, Ramboll UK Ltd.
• Committee on Toxicity: Dr. Christopher Morris, Senior Lecturer, Newcastle University; Dr. Meera Cush, Senior Managing Consultant, Ramboll UK Limited; Nick Richardson, Science and Technology Assurance Principal, Defense Science Technology Laboratories; Gordon Burton, Director, Gordon Burton Consulting Ltd.; Dr. Alison Yeates, Lecturer in Biomedical Sciences, Ulster University; and Dr. Andreas Kolb, Senior Research Fellow, Rowett Institute, University of Aberdeen
• Advisory Committee on Animal Feedingstuffs: Christel Luise Wake, Global Residue Scientist, Corteva Agriscience
• Science Council: Prof. John O’Brien (Chair), Director, Food Observatory; Prof. Tom Oliver, Research Dean for Environment, University of Reading; Prof. Emily Burton, Professor of Sustainable Food Production, Nottingham Trent University; Jaqueline Ann Healing, Director of Consulting, Training, and Technical Services UK and North America, NSF International; and Prof. Richard Smith, Deputy Pro Vice Chancellor and Professor of Public Health Economics, University of Exeter
• Joint Expert Group on Additives, Enzymes, and Other Regulated Products: Dr. Andrew Collins, Professor of Nutrition Biology, University of Oslo, Norway; and Dr. Carol Beevers, Regulatory Toxicology, Corteva Agriscience.

New members have been appointed for initial 3-year terms.