Record of Proceedings
Nutrition Science Advisory Committee (NSAC)
Inaugural virtual meeting
November 18th 2020, 1:30-4:00 pm Eastern time
Agenda item | Summary |
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Welcome and introductions | The Health Products and Food Branch (HPFB) Assistant Deputy Minister welcomed participants to the meeting, thanked members for their commitment and membership, and outlined the goals and plan for the Committee. The meeting had three objectives:
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Roundtable and introductions | The Committee Co-Chairs led introductions and invited each member to share a few words with the Committee about their professional work experience and scientific research expertise. All members verbally stated any updates to their affiliations and interests and there were no changes. |
Terms of reference / Mandate of the Committee |
The Executive Secretary of the Committee, the Director General of the Policy Planning and International Affairs Directorate (PPIAD), provided an overview of the terms of reference and mandate of the Committee. This included an overview of member obligations, security considerations, and requirements to provide updated declarations and affiliations. Members formally adopted the Terms of Reference. |
Presentation: Overview of Health Canada's mandate and priorities related to nutrition, and areas for exploration |
The Director General of the Food Directorate and the Director General of the Office of the Nutrition Policy and Promotion presented Health Canada's mandate and priorities related to nutrition, and areas for exploration to the NSAC. The presentation included four sections:
An interactive discussion followed the presentation between presenters and Committee members about Health Canada's use of science to support its nutrition mandate. Committee members commented on appraising evidence for individuals versus populations (including Indigenous), potential short-term versus long-term Covid-19 implications, diet-related chronic disease trends and food insecurity in Canada, and alignment with international food regulators. |
Open discussion on ideas for potential topics for future meetings |
Input from the NSAC was sought on possible future agenda topics. The Committee had an open discussion on several nutrition-related issues, for example, methods to assess and synthesize evidence across different domains in nutrition, common methodology for collecting data across studies, approaches to gather evidence relevant to Canada's diverse population, as well as emerging considerations in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. The topics discussed will be considered in the context of Health Canada's mandate and nutrition priorities. Further discussions will take place to determine a forward agenda for the Committee. |
Closing remarks | The Committee's Executive Secretary and the Co-Chairs thanked members for their active participation. |
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