About us
Source: gov.uk (2025-10-13)

The Committee on Mutagenicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment (COM) assesses and advises on mutagenic risks to humans.

COM provides independent advice to government departments and agencies on the potential mutagenicity and genotoxicity of chemicals (whether they are likely to cause mutation in cells), from natural products to new synthetic chemicals in food, used in pesticides, pharmaceuticals and found in the environment. It also advises on strategies and research for genotoxicity testing.

The committee also advises on important general hazards (the inherent property of the substance) or risk (the likelihood of mutagenic or genotoxic effects occurring after a given exposure) and gives recommendations for genotoxicity testing.

COM is an advisory body, was established in its present form in 1978 and has no regulatory status. However, it may provide advice to agencies that have a regulatory role.

COM’s secretariat is provided jointly between the Food Standards Agency (https://www.food.gov.uk/) and the Department of Health and Social Care (https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-of-health-and-social-care).

Publications

COM publishes its advice as statements and guidance statements (https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/com-guidance-statements).

COM publishes a joint annual report with the Committee on Toxicity (COT) and the Committee on Carcinogenicity (COC): see annual reports (https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/com-guidance-statements#annual-reports).

Older publications are also available. (https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20131102020156tf_/http://www.iacom.org.uk/index.htm)

Meetings

Calendar of meetings 2025
- 13 March 2025
- 19 June 2025
- 16 October 2025: meeting agenda and papers (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/68ed233f8427701993d5dffc/COM_Meeting_16_October_2025.zip) (ZIP, 496 KB)
Papers and minutes of additional joint committee meetings
- 13 March 2025 – Additional Joint Committee Meeting
- 2 March 2022: meeting, agenda and meeting papers joint COC COM (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6218b531d3bf7f4f0d9e805c/Joint_COC_COM_Meeting_020322_Agenda_and_Papers.zip) (ZIP, 634 KB)
- 2 March 2022: minutes joint COC COM (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/64db722d60d123001332c52c/MUT_CC_2022_01_2022-03-02_Joint_Discussion_Sessions_final_minutes__3_.pdf) (PDF, 158 KB, 5 pages)
- 24 and 25 November 2020: meeting agenda and papers joint COC COM (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/64db6e3f3fde61000d4a527d/Joint_COC_COM_Discussion_Sessions__1_.zip) (ZIP, 426 KB)
- 9 October 2017: agenda and papers joint COC COM (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/64db6f2d3fde61000d4a527f/COC_additional_joint_committee_meeting__9_October_2017.zip) (ZIP, 1010 KB)
Papers and minutes of previous meetings
- 17 October 2024 (meeting cancelled – no notes from this meeting)
- 20 June 2024: minutes from COM meeting (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/686fcc75fe1a249e937cbfc6/MUT_MIN_2024_02.pdf) (PDF, 168 KB, 8 pages)
- 29 February 2024: minutes from COM meeting (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/669002b90808eaf43b50ce1d/COM-minutes-February-2024.pdf) (PDF, 114 KB, 7 pages)
- 29 February 2024: agenda and meeting papers (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/65e1b9263f6945001103606c/COM_Meeting_Papers_29_February_2024.zip) (ZIP, 900 KB)
- 12 October 2023: minutes from COM meeting (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/660d5aca97e606001a2b2224/COM-meeting-minutes-12-October-2023.pdf) (PDF, 174 KB, 6 pages)
- 12 October 2023: agenda and meeting papers (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/651c07df6a6955000d78b1ed/12_October_2023_Meeting_Agenda_and_Papers.zip) (ZIP, 1.71 MB)
- 15 June 2023: minutes from COM meeting (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/660d59640616d0001a1cb0c8/Final_COM_mins_June_2023_v1.0__1_.pdf) (PDF, 144 KB, 8 pages)
- 15 June 2023: meeting papers (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/65140e203d3718000d6d0c7a/COM_Meeting_Papers_15_June_2023.zip) (ZIP, 663 KB)
- 23 February 2023: minutes from COM meeting (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6582d89bfc07f3000d8d4594/COM_mins_February_2023_Final.pdf) (PDF, 171 KB, 6 pages)
- 23 February 2023: agenda and meeting papers (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/646ca57f8a71840012ae4f65/Papers-February-2023-COM.zip) (ZIP, 578 KB)
- 13 October 2022: minutes from COM meeting (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/646cdcd5a726f6000ccebca0/MUT_MIN_2022_03_Final_COM_mins_October_2022.pdf) (PDF, 171 KB, 7 pages)
- 13 October 2022: agenda and meeting papers (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/634552a3e90e0731ac4a5580/COM_Meeting_131022_Web.zip) (ZIP, 992 KB)
- 9 June 2022: minutes from COM meeting (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/646ca5b68a71840012ae4f66/Final_COM_mins_June_2022_v1.0.pdf) (PDF, 132 KB, 8 pages)
- 9 June 2022: agenda and meeting papers (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/62a07a4c8fa8f5038ef7ca9f/COM_Meeting_9_June_2022.zip) (ZIP, 2.07 MB)
- 1 March 2022: minutes from COM meeting (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6335a936e90e0772e326e03e/Minutes_COM_Meeting_1_March_2022.pdf) (PDF, 177 KB, 8 pages)
- 1 March 2022: agenda and meeting papers (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/621e3161e90e0710c30a474e/COM_Meeting_1_March_2022.zip) (ZIP, 1.27 MB)
- 12 October 2021: minutes from COM meeting (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/628b9728d3bf7f1f3b19ef82/Minutes_of_COM_meeting_12_October_2021.pdf) (PDF, 182 KB, 6 pages)
- 12 October 2021: agenda and meeting papers (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/61602edf8fa8f52986e61c3a/COM_Meeting_121021.zip) (ZIP, 1.07 MB)
- 10 June 2021: minutes from COM meeting (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/62165872d3bf7f4f0743dbfa/MUT_MIN_2021_02_COM_mins_June_2021_Public_Version-1.pdf) (PDF, 189 KB, 10 pages)
- 10 June 2021: agenda and meeting papers (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/60c0a1b9e90e07439684bd9b/COM_Meeting_Papers_100621.zip) (ZIP, 1.47 MB)
- 11 February 2021: minutes from COM meeting (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/615594e88fa8f529777ffabb/Final_COM_mins_February_2021_v1.0-1.pdf) (PDF, 198 KB, 10 pages)
- 11 February 2021: agenda and meeting papers (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/60c0a1ebd3bf7f4bd6a9bbd9/COM_Meeting_Papers_110221.zip) (ZIP, 2.42 MB)
- 25 November 2020: agenda and meeting papers (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5fbe76a48fa8f559dccc2ca6/COM_Meeting_251120.zip) (ZIP, 2.05 MB)
- 25 November 2020: minutes from COM meeting (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/604778198fa8f577c7dc5912/Final_COM_mins_November_2020.pdf) (PDF, 134 KB, 7 pages)
- 9 June 2020: agenda and meeting papers (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5ede0cb086650c4ab80c7891/COM_Meeting_9_June_2020.zip) (ZIP, 1.58 MB)
- 9 June 2020: minutes from COM meeting (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/604777fdd3bf7f1d0ca5ed24/Final_COM_mins_June_2020.pdf) (PDF, 192 KB, 8 pages)
- 20 February 2020: agenda and meeting papers (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5e4ab9ade5274a6d31130c34/COM_Meeting_200220.zip) (ZIP, 1.42 MB)
- 20 February 2020: minutes from COM meeting (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/604777dce90e071538d66f64/Final_COM_mins_February_2020.pdf) (PDF, 127 KB, 12 pages)
- 10 October 2019: agenda and meeting papers (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5d9afb25e5274a5a29d7c219/Meeting_papers_101019.zip) (ZIP, 2.08 MB)
- 10 October 2019: minutes from COM meeting (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/60477836e90e07154010b62e/Final_COM_mins_October_2019.pdf) (PDF, 162 KB, 10 pages)
- 28 February 2019: agenda and meeting papers (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5c6d4bc3ed915d4a380dda7b/COM_Meeting_280219.zip) (ZIP, 2.37 MB)
- 28 February 2019: minutes from COM meeting (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5db81e1bed915d1cff49f3d5/COM_mins_February_2019.pdf) (PDF, 110 KB, 7 pages)
- 18 October 2018: agenda and meeting papers (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5bbdd35de5274a36239734ca/COM_Meeting_181018.zip) (ZIP, 430 KB)
- 18 October 2018: minutes from COM meeting (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5c80fac4ed915d07d79dcf2d/COM_meeting_minutes_October_2018.pdf) (PDF, 202 KB, 12 pages)
- 26 June 2018: agenda and meeting papers (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5b22809bed915d2cc83175f9/COM_26_June_2018.zip) (ZIP, 2.33 MB)
- 26 June 2018: minutes from COM meeting (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5c1d0274ed915d731ea48fb3/Final_COM_mins_June_2018.pdf) (PDF, 135 KB, 8 pages)
- 22 February 2018: agenda and meeting papers (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a8445d9ed915d74e3404724/COM_Meeting_22_February_2018.zip) (ZIP, 2.87 MB)
- 22 February 2018: minutes from COM meeting (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5b3f26c7e5274a375bc0c262/COM_mins_February_2018.pdf) (PDF, 223 KB, 13 pages)
- 9 October 2017: agenda and meeting papers (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a82ab0e40f0b6230269c125/COM_meeting_papers_9_October_2017.zip) (ZIP, 1010 KB)
- 22 June 2017: agenda and meeting papers (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a74bb4740f0b61df4778083/COM_22_June_2017.zip) (ZIP, 1.55 MB)
- 22 June 2017: minutes from COM meeting (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5aaa7e3ce5274a3e3603ae32/COM_minutes_June_2017.pdf) (PDF, 278 KB, 10 pages)
- 23 February 2017: agenda and meeting papers (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a8183d4ed915d74e6232ae3/Agenda_and_Papers_23_Feb_2017.zip) (ZIP, 2.01 MB)
- 23 February 2017: minutes from COM meeting (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a82f165e5274a2e87dc3c26/COM_meeting_minutes_February_2017.pdf) (PDF, 184 KB, 7 pages)
Minutes of meetings held between 2013 and 2016 are available on the UK Government Web Archive (http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20180607114458/https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/committee-on-mutagenicity-of-chemicals-in-food-consumer-products-and-the-environment/about).

Minutes for meetings before 2013 are on the archived IACOM website (http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20140506144308/http://www.iacom.org.uk/meetings/index.htm).

COM holds open meetings (https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/committee-on-mutagenicity-of-chemicals-in-food-consumer-products-and-the-environment/about/our-governance) to increase the visibility and transparency of its work.