Accreditation scheme

Citation

(2009), "Accreditation scheme", Nutrition & Food Science, Vol. 39 No. 1. https://doi.org/10.1108/nfs.2009.01739aab.044

Accreditation scheme

Article Type: Food facts From: Nutrition & Food Science, Volume 39, Issue 1

The Royal Institute of Public Health (www.riph.org.uk) launched a new accreditation scheme designed to endorse products that support health, hygiene and safety. This new scheme will enable consumers to see at a glance whether the hygiene claims made for everyday products are fact or fiction.

Products will be scrutinised by The Royal Institute’s panel of experts to check that any hygiene claims made in their marketing or advertising are accurate and appropriate.

Commenting on the scheme, John Pickup, one of the scientific advisors to the Royal Institute who has worked extensively on the communication of claims for hygiene products says:

Hygiene products must be shown to provide significant benefits and their capabilities must be properly communicated without scare-mongering or exaggerating the risks.

Products which pass this rigorous assessment will be able to use the new accreditation kitemark, which demonstrates that their claims have been closely examined and approved by an independent team of specialists in their field.

Professor Richard Parish, Chief Executive of the Royal Institute, adds:

We have researched this market carefully and have found that there is a real gap to be filled. No other accreditation scheme focuses exclusively on health and hygiene claims, and our endorsement gives a real benefit to consumers, and to those organisations that care about the integrity of their marketing.

Organisations in the fields of cleaning, infection control, hygiene and safety, who are interested in accreditation for their products, should contact Dr Anna Zilnyk at the Royal Institute of Public Health for more information.

Notes

1. 1.

   The Royal Institute of Public Health was founded in 1856. Based in London, it is a leading independent body with an international reputation dedicated to the promotion, practice and protection of the highest standards of public health.

2. 2.

   It offers a wide range of public health related qualifications delivered through an extensive network of training centres nationwide.

3. 3.

   The Royal Institute enjoys the patronage of Her Majesty The Queen, an honour that has been conferred by the Sovereign continuously since 1897.

4. 4.

   The Royal Institute is a Registered Charity.

5. 5.

   The Royal Institute of Public Health and the Royal Society of Health (RSH) are merging in Autumn 2008 to form the Royal Society for Public Health.

More information can be found at www.riph.org.uk