The Scientific Committee for Food (SCF) was originally established by Commission Decision 74/234/EEC of 16 April 1974 (OJ L 136, 20.05.1974), replaced by Commission Decision 95/273/EC of 6 July 1995, to advise the Commission on any problem relating to the protection of the health and safety of persons arising or likely to arise from the consumption of food, in particular on nutritional, hygienic and toxicological issues.

Following the reorganisation of the Commission's Scientific Committees in 1997, the previous Decisions were replaced by Commission Decision 97/579/EC of 23 July 1997 (OJ L 237 of 28.08.1997) setting up eight Scientific Committees, including the Scientific Committee on Food (SCF).

The members of the SCF are independent persons, highly qualified in the fields associated with medicine, nutrition, toxicology, biology, chemistry, or other similar disciplines.

The Secretariat of the Scientific Committees is provided by the Commission services. Responsibility for the Secretariat of the Scientific Committee for Food was transferred from Directorate General III "Industry" to Directorate General XXIV "Consumer Policy and Consumer Health Protection" with effect from 1 ^st April 1997. Most of Community Directives and Regulations related to foodstuffs, require the Commission to consult the Committee on provisions which may have an effect on public health falling within the scope of these directives and regulations.