Waitrose ahead of the game on environmental health

Waitrose has become the first retailer to achieve corporate membership of the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health.

The award was launched a year ago to recognise companies that have gone the extra mile to establish high standards of environmental health – encompassing everything from food safety and hygiene to sustainable development.

So far the only other organisation to have secured corporate membership is the Inter Continental Group.

Waitrose said membership would help the business communicate more effectively about environmental health matters.

“A key benefit to our membership of the CIEH will be opportunities to help local authority enforcement officers and other members to understand the commercial challenges facing national retailers in their compliance with the law,” said Duncan Spencer, safety manager at the John Lewis Partnership.

“We will also greatly benefit from sharing ideas with the experts at CIEH and developing together effective management approaches to safety and food hygiene and occupational health.”