Summary of Proceedings
Nutrition Science Advisory Committee (NSAC)
Third Virtual Meeting
| Agenda Item | Summary |
|---|---|
| Welcome & Declarations of Affiliations and Interests | The Committee Co-Chairs welcomed participants to the Third Virtual NSAC meeting and introduced the topic of the meeting, “Monitoring to discern and understand new and emerging trends impacting the nutritional health of Canadians”. Approval of the meeting agenda was sought, which had two objectives: Objectives:
The Executive Secretary reminded members of Health Canada’s transparency approach for the Committee and the importance of declaring Members’ affiliations and interests before each meeting to help meet its goal of generating the best independent advice. There were no changes to members’ affiliations and interests. |
| Approval of Record of Proceedings from Second Meeting | The record of proceedings was approved without changes. |
| Health Canada Presentation: Monitoring to discern and understand new and emerging trends impacting the nutritional health of Canadians | To set the stage for the discussion, Health Canada representatives:
Recognizing the pandemic has accelerated changes across many factors in the food and nutrition environment, and the need to identify changes associated with a disruptor such as the COVID-19 pandemic to help inform responses, Health Canada solicited Members’ advice on what to monitor to understand the impact of “disruptors” in the shorter and longer term. |
| Breakout sessions: Discussions on what should be monitored to signal important changes in the food and nutrition context | Meeting participants were divided into two groups and were asked to respond to the following question: In the context of our current disruptor, the COVID-19 pandemic, what should be monitored to signal important changes in the food and nutrition context that impact the nutritional health of all Canadians? One group focused on societal level factors, while the other group focused on household and individual factors. Both groups were asked to include equity, diversity and inclusion in their considerations. |
| Report back from breakout sessions | Each group reported on the key points from their breakout session. |
| Break | |
| Discussion | The Co-Chairs led a session, providing a summary of the key points common to both breakout groups, as well as factors unique to each. The discussion focused on identifying whether any issues were missing or could be grouped. The intent was to identify a short list of key indicators that could signal important changes in the food and nutrition environment. Committee Members were asked to identify priority areas. It was decided that the list would be further refined following the meeting to allow for further reflection by the Members. |
| Forward Agenda and Topics & Closing Remarks | The forward agenda for the next few meetings was presented as an evergreen document, thus allowing the Committee to be flexible and to adapt its work based on Health Canada’s evolving needs. Upcoming meetings will continue to explore the “monitoring” theme to understand the transient and long-term impact of disruptors such as the COVID-19 pandemic. The Co-Chairs thanked Members for their active participation. |